Fruits Medley: Second Harvest
by Miss. Miyazawa
Summary: After 2 years, I finally did it.  I wrote the sequel to Fruits Medley. It's just like the original, with more pairings!  And there's more lessons involved! Care to join me on this journey of love and understanding?  It's fun and it's free!  Ah, just read.
1. Anytime

...Hello everybody! xD

I cordially invite all of you lucky people on a mystical ride through scholasticness and higher learning! ((looks around mad confused when people start hitting the back button))Ah, perhaps I should clarify some things. This is the sequel to Fruits Medley and we're going on a lessons of _love_ journey. Sound better?

I'm afraid there's been a bit of procrastination on my part. To those I've PM-ed, I apologize for taking so long in posting. In this collections fic, I'm going to put commentary/what inspired the story/etc. if the need occurs (i.e: if I'm not too lazy). First story up is Megumi x Kisa!

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_**Title:**_ Anytime

**_Theme:_** No matter how tough things get, don't leave me here.

_**Rating:**_ K+

**_Disclaimer:_** I don't own Fruits Basket.

**_Notes:_**

**(1) **Yes, this story has been named after the wonderful song "Anytime" by the enormously talented J-pop artist Crystal Kay. I like this song and whenever I hear it, I think of Kisa for some reason, hence the title! I also thought the title reflected the theme of this story.

**(2) **This tail (I mean tale!) is dedicated to shriveled.up.heart. I said I'd write you a Megumi x Kisa a loooonnnnggg time ago and haven't gotten around to it until now. Sorry! Hope this makes up for it.

**(3)** The high school featured in this story is named Hokuei, after the school in His and Her Circumstances. I really like that anime and my pen name comes from it as well!

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It was dusk. Twelve-year-old Kisa Sohma, shy middle school student, was walking home from school alone. She cradled a Mogeta DVD tightly to her chest as a smile enveloped her face. She knew how much Hiro liked to watch this anime with her, even though he claimed not to like it very much. Since the Ram was sick with food poisoning, she wanted to brighten his day. Kisa picked up her pace. She shivered. Usually the playground was nearly deserted and she didn't really like the silence. It was eerie and the lonely groans of swing seats without passengers and rattling chains scared her a bit. It reminded her too much of her own demons with silence. 

She heard footsteps. Kisa's tiger ears pricked up for a moment and her tail lashed out behind her before vanishing. Perhaps she was being paranoid but you could never be too careful. Kisa buried the DVD in her knapsack. Who knew what treacherous Mogeta fans were lurking about. And this was the newest volume. She had to be extra careful with her treasure.

Right now, with her potential paranoia and uneasiness, she just wanted to make it home as quickly as possible. (And thank goodness she had found this short cut!) But a shadowy figure yanked at her eyes and chained her once moving legs to the ground.

The person wasn't really shadowy. He was just... black. Black hair, black eyes, black cape. Cape? What kind of person wore a cape outside? But Kisa thought it was a marvelous one. It shone in the falling sunlight, giving off the suggestion of silk. But his eyes did not shine. Sure, they were glassy, but they were devoid of emotion, like two black holes in endless space sucking her in. She hoped the stranger didn't think she was rude, but she couldn't help it. She had to stare at him. Even though his eyes were not crying and his face was not frowning, Kisa had the unshakable impression that he was very sad.

The wind picked up, grabbing the leaves by their frail stems and involving their crackling bodies in a dance. His dark hair barely moved. His cape flew up behind him like a butterfly's wing. The worn wooden frame of the sandbox was colored a dull cherry red and the paint was peeling off. A sharp nail poked up not far from the boy.

Kisa was still very insecure and shy. People did not change overnight, and this was definitely the case for Kisa. A former mute, she still found the sound of her own voice strange. Kisa had a few friends and things were much easier for her since she decided to talk, but that didn't erase her past. So instead of saying hello or asking him what he was doing here all by himself, she stood silently. Their eyes struggled against each other's. She wanted to look away because she was uncomfortable but the boy was magnetic.

"Who are you?"

Kisa was startled. His voice was so calm, unruffled like a windless ocean, as solemn as a muggy hot day. Perhaps she was wrong in thinking he was a child. He was probably older, like a high school student. She had to answer him quickly! The older boy might think she was rude! But it took a long time to work out something to say.

What she came up with after five minutes: "Y--Yes?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Your name is yes?" he asked, but oddly without scorn.

Her voice was hushed. "Yes. I--I mean no."

She expected a taunt, a cruel bark of laughter, for him to raise his chin and tell her snidely to say what she meant instead of wasting his time. He did none of that. Instead she heard, "Please speak up." No anger, no taunting, just this soothing, emotionless voice.

"Well, it's...My n—name is... Kisa."

"Kisa what?"

"Kisa Sohma!" She covered her mouth. She'd never spoken that loud before.

"Aren't you scared?"

She was confused. She felt weird and awkward around him, but scared? No way. "Scared? Why should I be?" She reddened. The remark almost sounded cheeky, as her mom would say. Not that her mother often called her daughter that. Kisa was far from disrespectful.

The boy leaned forward. "Why aren't you scared?" he asked.

Through stammers she choked out, "Be—because you're a kid, just like me. And you seem lonely. So..." She looked down at her toes in embarrassment. That sounded like a stupid reason.

"You're right. I am lonely. Kids call me a monster. They make fun of me. It used to be much worse," he continued. "They would throw stones at me and follow me home. They even called my sister a witch. But that's not true. My sister is kind and gentle."

Kisa smiled, but in sadness. He really was a tortured soul even though he spoke of the bullying as if it were as commonplace as a sunny day. Intuitive, sensitive girl that she was, she saw right through his calm outer shell. She felt a pang in her own heart. This boy was more like her than she could've ever imagined. "I understand. I used to be picked on too. I wouldn't talk so all the kids made fun of me. It got so bad that once I was locked in the storage room. It was awful," she said through her tears. She held out her hand. "So maybe we can be friends. Then maybe you won't look so sad."

Shock. The first emotion he'd shown during their encounter. "I look sad?"

Kisa nodded.

"Well, I might look lonely and sad, but I advise that you don't get too close to me."

"Why?"

"The kids at school sense who's different and alienate them. This time, it's for a good reason. I have a power."

She was blown away. She had never met a magical person before. Her family was in some ways magical, but turning into animals was a curse, not a power. Her mother had given the evil witches, good fairies and noble princes and princesses life from the golden-edged pages of her storybook, so for her to meet a real life magical being was amazing.

She whispered as if speaking up would shatter the spell. "What kind of power?"

His voice matched hers, but he used a deadly whisper. "The power to curse."

Her hand fell limply at her side. "To... curse?"

He nodded. "Yes. And you made a big mistake telling me your name."

"W-why?"

"Because if I know a person's name and if they hurt me or say mean things about me, I can punish them. I won't hold it against you if you want to run away. It's a lot to handle, I know. If you want to be my friend, you'll have to be extra careful around me. Who knows? Even if it's small, I could snap and turn against you. I'm not to be trusted. Don't you see?" He spread his arms wide. "This is who I am and who I will always be. A wretched little cursed boy. I'm different, so you **_should_ **be scared of me, Ms. Kisa. Are you really willing to place your life in my hands? Me, a stranger, who could guarantee you'd never be happy again? You seem like a nice girl and I don't want to make you cry. So just give up. I'm not worth the effort." The wind picked up. Leaves swirled around them. Her fiery hair melted into the orange sorbet sky.

"Then I'll just have to try not to displease you." She held out her hand again. "And please don't say you're not worth it. When you talk like that, you've half defeated yourself." Kisa smiled. "Let's join forces and choose happiness. Because... you deserve good things and I like you."

"Not everyone is so kind, Ms. Kisa. You'd be considered very strange to like me. You might even be picked on too."

"Then I'll just get picked on!" She blushed at her own passionate cry. "No matter what people think or what people say, I'll be your friend. And please, just call me Kisa. There's no need to be so formal. We're friends, not strangers."

"You consider me a friend?"

Kisa nodded.

"No one's ever said that to me before." He shook his head and allowed himself a smile. "Let's start over. I'm afraid I was a bit rude." He stood up and took her hand. He dipped down low a bit to kiss her hand, then released it and bowed. "My name is Megumi Hanajima. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Megumi frowned. "Did I do that right? Perhaps the kissing thing was a bit much. It's just that I've never had a friend before and my sister always told me to be extra nice to girls, except when they're unkind. But you might be upset, so I apologize."

Kisa was shocked. This dark, solemn boy was blushing over her! It made her blush in turn but she was smiling. She laughed. She liked how old-fashioned he was. It was cute. "Then your sister is very wise. Is she your big sister?"

Megumi nodded.

Kisa inclined her back. "My name is Kisa Sohma. Please regard me kindly."

She smiled.

And Megumi smiled back.

_X x X x X x X_

And that was how their friendship began.

They met at the park at sunset to play everyday. Her mother was always worried about her and asked her dozens of times where she was going, who she was meeting with. She was very protective over her small daughter, which made Kisa feel stifled. She wouldn't run away again because of her overprotective mother, but sometimes Kisa felt like doing it. In her dreams, she would live in the playground and live off the sweet apples the small trees provided. When Megumi came to see her, she'd run out from under the plastic castle or from behind a bush, grin, and yell, "Surprise!" Then he would laugh. Kisa loved making him laugh. His eyes folded up into crescents in the most adorable way. It made her feel like laughing too. In fact, Megumi made her feel like doing many things, like smiling and laughing and talking incessantly. Her family marveled at the change. Haru smiled. Tohru squealed and called out, "Kawaii!" while hugging the smaller girl to her chest. And Hiro was...

Jealous.

This was lost on Kisa. She didn't understand why Hiro was so upset. So she decided to hide Megumi for a little while, at least until Hiro calmed down. And anyway, although she wouldn't admit it, she was a little greedy when it came to him. She wanted him all to herself for as long as she could keep him.

They did everything together. Megumi pushed her on the swings. Kisa pushed her new friend down the slide. They hung upside down from the monkey bars and played Hide and Seek. She taught him how to ride a bike and he showed her how to spin around in a circle without falling down. She told him jokes and they had breath holding competitions. Kisa always won, but she knew Megumi let her win. She loved this feeling so much. To have made a friend all by herself, and to play with this friend, smile and laugh with him... That was special. And nothing could ruin their friendship. That was what Kisa believed. Until that day...

"Tag, you're it!" Kisa called out boldly as she swatted at Megumi's shoulder and tore off into the sunset. Her girlish shadow was being tugged on by the disappearing sun as her pounding footsteps made little dust clouds rise in the cracked dirt ground. With a grin, Megumi rushed after her.

She looked over her shoulder with a squeal. Megumi usually let her take the lead, but today he was giving it his all. His hand reached out. His legs were a bit longer than hers, so it would only be a matter of time...

Until...

He...

Fell forward?

**_Poof!_ **

The colorful plume of smoke evaporated, leaving behind a tiny tiger. She struggled against the school uniform shirt until her head poked out from the short sleeve. She wiggled her new feline body out of the shirt. Her amber eyes looked around briefly. All of her clothes were scattered, as if they hadn't been able to wait to jump from her cursed form. The confused tiger looked into Megumi's eyes, hoping for something, anything, to end the poisonous silence stretched thin between them.

She knew she should've run away. Or better yet, she should've been more careful. Playing tag when she had this secret to keep? Did she really think he would never find out? That he never needed to know? Megumi said that he wasn't worth the effort, but right now, Kisa realized she wasn't worth anything. What was she really? Just an animal. A cursed girl in a family of freaks. What other family but theirs transformed like this? None. They were the only ones.

Would Megumi leave her? Kisa was so scared! After all, she had deceived him. She hadn't told him her biggest secret, the secret her mother made her promise everyday on her knees to protect. 'You'll only get hurt, Kisa, sweetheart. Please don't let anyone know. I'm just trying to protect you.'

_Trying to protect me?_ Kisa really did feel like she was suffocating. Her mother meant well, and she knew this, but... Was she ashamed of her little Tiger daughter? Kisa shook her head. No! She wasn't! But the feeling haunted her every single waking moment of her day. And in her dreams her mother would look at her with those worried eyes.

And Akito would punish her until there was nothing left for her but despair.

Kisa trembled. Hatori-ojiichan would have to erase Megumi's memory. She didn't want that! She liked him! He was her best friend next to Hiro. But would he want to stay with her? And did she have a choice? No. Kisa didn't have a choice. So, because she couldn't do anything about it, she would give him a proper goodbye. She would, without tears, tell him everything. She would apologize for deceiving him all this time and betraying his trust. She would treasure each word his soothing voice gave birth to, even if he screamed, "Freak!" or "Monster!" or "Thing!" at her. She would understand and try not to feel hurt. If it were her in his place, she would be just as upset.

_But... thinking about it only makes me--_

She didn't realize she was crying until his finger stopped the falling tear. She looked up. Megumi's eyes were filled with nothing but kindness. He smiled.

"Kisa. I understand. It's okay."

And then he held his arms wide, as wide as the sunset sky above him, as wide as his fragile heart.

And Kisa was moved.

Because he didn't call her a thing or an animal or worthless.

He.

Said.

Her.

Name.

He smiled at her just as he'd always smiled. Nothing had changed. In his eyes she understood that he didn't need her to explain anything. He wasn't expecting an apology. He wasn't expecting anything.

Just her company, her friendship. Just her.

Kisa hunched up on her hind legs and sprang into his arms.

_X x X x X x X_

To be honest, Megumi knew Kisa was different.

He couldn't really describe it in so many words, and at the time he didn't really know her curse. He wasn't an expert at reading denpa waves like his sister, but he did have a sort of sixth sense about him. So even though he was in the dark about her unique family situation, he sensed that Kisa was not like ordinary little girls.

From a young age, Megumi had been branded an outsider, just like Kisa. And kids, they are not always so kind and forgiving towards anyone who doesn't fit their mold. Scary people, usually the ones who were just misunderstood and most in need of acceptance and love, were also the most hated. It was like a huge war for them. The normal ones were on one side. And the outsiders were, well, outside.

Because of this, Megumi suffered gravely. In elementary school, kids threw stones at him. Cruel tricks were played on him. Kids always tried to jump him. It seemed like even the teachers were powerless. After all, most of their pupils were the offspring of wealthy people with power. Why try to mess with them when generous donations poured in annually? So the "unfortunate situation" was overlooked. Megumi couldn't tell his parents. They already had their hands full with Hana and Megumi knew she needed their support more than he did. So he kept quiet. No one cared about him. No one stood up for him. Megumi had no one to call a true friend. His sister always defended him, but he couldn't help her. It was so unfair! But he was powerless.

As he got older, Megumi learned to use his newly-developed power to his advantage. He spoke up. He stood with his spine up straight instead of cowering with his shoulders pulled close to his body. He looked directly into people's eyes, which made everyone look away. Since attendence was called everyday, Megumi knew his tormentors' names. He made it very clear that he could cause great pain to those who hurt him or dared called his sister names. Most of the time, his threats were empty. Megumi was generally a peaceful person and had no real desire to harm anyone. Only in the most extreme cases was his power needed, and even then he considered the matter very carefully before doing anything rash. However, no one else knew this, so for the most part he was safe. The bullying was a lot more tame than before.

Oh, but the whisperings still went on behind his back.

"His eyes are like a monster's."

"He's a freak."

"He's _nobody_."

But Megumi held his head high, no matter how hard his soul cried out in loneliness.

_X x X x X x X_

Which was why he didn't turn her away when she transformed.

Kisa was just like him.

He had learned a lot about her in the time they spent together. Due to relentless teasing about her hair color, Kisa had ceased to speak. This made her schoolmates bully her even more. It seemed like nothing she did could please them.

And then she met Tohru and everything changed. Kisa had opened up to the sweet girl after a while of deep distrust. For the first time in a long time, Kisa finally spoke. After that, Kisa was glued to her Big Sister's side.

She had a timid smile and an even more timid voice, but Megumi liked her. She was the first person who hadn't deserted him. She didn't tease him or call him bad names. She treated him like a person.

So how could he turn her away when she had given him so much? This girl who looked like she could be blown away by a mere breeze ended up being one of the strongest people he knew. Megumi would always be in her debt, but the strangest thing was that she didn't expect anything in return. Only to stay by his side.

Friendship.

A word once as foreign to him as a kind smile.

A kind smile.

A gift in its own right because it was always there for him.

She was always there for him.

Her ears would listen to his words.

Her eyes would light up when she spotted him.

Her voice gave him the comfort he so desperately needed.

Friendship, but she had given him so much more. What was this feeling? Was it--

Hope?

Determination?

Faith?

No. It was all of these things.

Faith in himself and in humankind.

Hope in the future.

Determination to keep on being himself.

And he couldn't have felt any of these things, believed in any of things, if it hadn't been for...

Her.

_X x X x X x X_

Crossing his arms, Hiro spilled tawny eyes over her, darted Megumi an ugly glare at his back, and made his verdict.

"I hate him."

Which had wilted poor Kisa's heart. She so wanted them all to be friends. She thought Hiro could handle it, but she guessed it was too soon. It was too late now and she wouldn't want to turn back, even if she could do it all over again. Megumi was an important person in her life and she wanted to share him with her cousin.

"Aren't you scared of him?" he persisted wildly, extremely jealous of this new rival. First that dimwit Tohru and now this spook? "He scares me. I mean, creeps me out!" he shouted quickly to save his masculinity. "He's a creepy guy! And I don't want you hanging around him!"

Kisa pleaded up at him with the widest, cutest, shiniest eyes ever created. Had she learned that from Shigure? Hiro shook his head, trying to stand his ground, but she was making it hard for him.

"But I like him," she sighed. "And I thought you'd like him too.

And how could Hiro resist? Whatever Kisa wanted, Kisa got. In his mind, it was her world. So he gave in with a shaky "Okay" even though every cell in his body screamed out in protest.

Years passed. The unclear feelings of childhood had a little more clarity through the eyes of teenagers.

Hiro was witness to a blossoming love.

Megumi and Kisa were becoming...

Close.

And he hated it.

Neither noticed their feelings but for Hiro it was startlingly...

Heartbreakingly...

Clear.

Damn, damn, damn him. Megumi with his weird looks and tragic past and broken soul.

Hiro wondered, if he were as ugly, would she love him too?

He was the one who deserved her, dammit.

His heart was crushed too!

He had a tragic past too!

Hiro was the one who needed to be saved the most.

But he would step back and watch them.

What else could he do?

He cared too much about Kisa to step in the way of her happiness.

So if this guy made her happy, he'd try to be happy.

He'd try and...

Fail, but he'd pick himself up and move on.

_X x X x X x X_

"I can't."

Kisa took a wobbly step back. Her face was pale.

Kisa Sohma, age fourteen and a freshman at Hokuei High School, had been rejected for the first time.

By her closest friend, Megumi Hanajima.

Tears started to fill Kisa's almond eyes but Megumi had to stop himself from clinging to her, even if it would only be for an instant.

_Kisa._ He looked at her pretty face, the golden-orange hair he loved so much. The blue cardigan sweater she wore over her white linen shirt with a dark blue ribbon tied under the collar looked so lovely paired with her navy blue pleated skirt. Her school uniform. Kisa had modeled it for him, so happy that she'd gotten into Hokuei. It was a prestiguous school and Kisa had studied like mad for the entrance exams. He knew she'd pass the exams. She was too smart _not_ to get in.

It was a good thing he went to a different school. He would be heartbroken if he saw her in the halls with her friends, or even worse, with a boyfriend. Kisa had been asked out on many dates and she had a huge male fanbase. Kisa was upset now, but she would get over him. Her cousin, Hiro, looked like he needed her more than he did. It was all for the best.

Megumi knew it couldn't last forever. This revolutionary girl, one who'd healed his wounds and stuck by him through everything, this beautiful, funny, talented girl would one day get tired of him. It happened before. A girl, Riika, had befriended him shortly after he became Kisa's friend. She was sweet and kind to him at first, but when he wouldn't curse a boy she hated, she turned on him. Not that he was comparing Kisa to her. Riika wasn't a thing like Kisa. Kisa was an angel. It was just that Megumi had to protect himself. And he was preventing her from truly being popular. Once again, his differences was hurting someone he loved. He didn't want to hurt her, but this was all for her.

_"You make her cry, punk, and I'll make you pay." _

Megumi closed his eyes. _Then hit me_, he told the scowling Hiro in his mind._ I deserve it after all. I deserve nothing but bad things. __I love her but she's too good for me._

"Why?"

Megumi turned away from the school's chain link fence. A pang entered his heart. But he didn't let it show when he replied, "Isn't it time we stopped?"

_Megumi._ Kisa felt his pain. Distrusting others no matter how long you knew them, being afraid, always afraid, of being deserted. But she wasn't like that! She loved him and the more he pushed her away, the more she loved him and wanted to stay with him. If only she could make him see that...

"It's worthless. I'm worthless. Pretending I'm nothing more but different... Kisa-chan, you shouldn't have to suffer because of me. Just give up." And with that, he turned his back and began to walk away.

Until a shrill scream made his feet stand still.

"I place a curse on you, Megumi Hanajima!"

He turned around and saw it.

Determination.

Eyes fixed in a glare, her hair splashing around her shoulders, hands made into fists, he saw it. Kisa wouldn't dare give up. She was determined to reach him.

She stepped forward. "I know your name, right? And I know where you live. I know what school you go to. I know everything about you!" Kisa was shocked. Her unstable voice, the tears running down her face... She felt something she'd never felt before. She couldn't even describe it. "I place a hex on you, and that hex is me!"

With no hesitation, she ran into his arms...

...and he received her.

His arms were spread wide and...

...hers went around his waist.

It all happened in slow motion for him.

And when her head landed on his shoulder...

...and their bodies met, it was...

...the most beautiful thing in the world.

With wide eyes, he stroked her hair. Tears accumulated on his shoulder. His arms tightened around her.

And nothing happened but the most wonderful transformation.

A cosmic explosion of love and understanding.

"I love you, Megumi!"

_I love you. I love you. I..._

"...love you. I love you, Kisa." Megumi smiled. "And I wouldn't mind being stuck with you."

_Anytime, anywhere, I'll always be with you._


	2. What Planet Are You From?

**Title:** What Planet Are You From?

**Rating:** T (for brief sexual references, light cursing.)

**Pairing:** Kimi/Naohito

**Theme: **Acceptance of a person's faults, even if you don't understand the person.

**Summary:** Kimi's a ditz and hard to understand. Naohito's too uptight and hard to understand. But are they beginning to like each other?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket.

**Notes:**

**(1)** Story, I base thee on the manga. :) Ha, that sounded like a proclaimation. If I'm not mistaken, the members of the Student Council were introduced in Volume 9. Well, at least Machi and Kakeru were. I'll say this is loosely based on Volume 9+ to be safe.

**(2)** Ah, wikipedia. You teach me so much. Well, whether or not Naohito likes Motoko (our favorite Yuki stalker--I mean fan!) or not, I decided to briefly stick that in there. I found it interesting as well, because it seems like they could be a nice couple. Since I'm only vaguely familiar with Naohito, I may make him OOC at times. For any discrepancies, I deeply apologize. Title comes from a K-drama.

**Dedication: This goes out to every Yuki fangirl who squeals whenever he makes an appearance in the anime/manga. He's too girly for my tastes, but if that's your thing, then more power to ya. Squeal on, girls. (And guys too, don't be shy!!!)**

* * *

Kimi Toudou was too weird to be human. 

She was always floating on air, prancing here and there, chattering in that annoying, sugar-sweet voice reserved just for a certain violet-haired president. The rest of the time, her voice was aggravating enough with its sweet-as-honey-but-just-as-vomit-inducing pitch. She always had to act ladylike (or like a fool, if Naohito could be honest) around Yuki. Kimi fluttered her eyelashes, smiled with extra puke-worthy pep, twirled like a ballerina in front of him, and did other equally brainless things. She always had to squeal, "Yun-Yuuuuuuuuuuuunnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!!" with a heart symbol attached, or even without it. (Either way was vastly annoying.) Kimi constantly pestered him with questions, always offered to do things for him, and fetched him things he didn't even want or like!

And that wasn't the half of it! She had the attention span of a toddler. She was always chattering, whether with Manabe (twin cries of "Chibi-suke!" would haunt him for days), vaguely at him, or even more vaguely at Kuragi. Quite frankly, he was sick of them all. Kuragi, with her bouts of destruction, Manabe, with his stupid jokes and dopey behavior, and Toudou, with her mere presence. The only one he could marginally tolerate was Class President Yuki Sohma, although the margin was veeerrrrryyyy thin. (And anyway, it wasn't like he had a choice in the matter--he _was_ that guy's underling, as much as he hated to admit it.) But all of them were beside the point. Truth be told, Naohito could stomach Machi's acting out and Kakeru's stupidity and Yuki's... Yukiness, but Kimi was...

To put it succinctly, she was an airhead.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

Naohito was too strange to be human.

He was always grim, never smiling and always a downer. Anything and everything he yelled was either:

A.) A scolding word,

B.) A complaint,

C.) Something boring and school-related, or

D.) All of the above, all in one hurried breath. (It was usually answer D.)

Kimi just didn't know how he could stand being around himself. Didn't Chibi-suke **like **to have fun? Smile? _Laugh_ once in a while? Would enjoying all of life's pleasures kill him? (Kakeru and Kimi often joked behind his back that all Little Chibi-suke needed was to get laid, but Kimi didn't think even **that** would loosen him up. Not that he had or would have any chances to get laid. He was too uptight.) He acted like school was only a place to learn. _What a nuisance_, he would probably think about the rest: the adventures they shared, the fun they had, the wacky hijinks--everything else was an added bother to him!

Plus he walked around like he hated everyone who was having a good time. God forbid if anyone smiled in his presence. He'd shuffle papers or huff or whatever he was doing at the moment even more insistently. (Even if it was just breathing.)

This was what Naohito cared about:

School. Student Body responsibilities. Work. Yawn.

No one had more dedication to this school than him. Well, with the exception of that guy, Ex-Class President Makoto Takei, but let's face it: he's loud, stupid, and a freak. He couldn't really be compared to Chibi-suke, and he really wasn't worth mentioning anyway. Class President Yuki was much more interesting to think about. More like Class President Sexy! Now there was a stand-up guy, a real stud muffin!!! He was hot. No, make that **_GORGEOUS_**, and such a sweetheart!!! His dedication to the presidency was absolutely dreamy. Nothing excited Kimi more than a guy who took his responsibilities seriously.

Now that she thought about it, Yun-Yun was way more interesting to think about!

And anyway, why waste brain cells on the losers, the geeks and the aliens when cool _human_ guys were so much better? Like Yun-Yun...

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.

It was sunset. Naohito was swinging on the playground swing of a nearby primary school. Well, swinging didn't exactly describe his behavior; swinging usually suggested energetically pumping legs, a smile on one's face, and a tight grip on the swing's chains as the child soared higher and higher. This was not the case with him. In typical Naohito behavior, the teen was rocking dully back and forth, hands loosely sliding over the cold linked metal of the chains. Even his feet were lethargic. Toes, then heels. Heels, then toes.

With a sigh, Naohito looked up at the burnt orange and pink sky. An overwhelming sense of desperation mixed with anger and despair strangled him. No one understood him, not Kakeru, not Kimi, and oddly enough, not even Yuki! He was sick and tired of all the frivolity but what could he do? He wasn't class president. Yuki was, and although he was just as fed up with their behavior as he was, he only stewed quietly in a corner! If only that guy would do more... If only Kakeru and Kimi would just shut up... If only Machi wasn't so frustratingly weird... Aliens! All of them were aliens!

A shadow fell over him. He kept his sullen narrowed eyes on the rising clouds of dust from the ground. "Leave me alone," he sighed with an edge to his jaded, weary voice. Usually Naohito wasn't so rude to strangers, but the young secretary had lost his patience. He didn't care who knew how pissed off he was. He didn't want to encourage small talk. He just wanted to be left alone.

A finger jabbed at his shoulder. Somehow it felt familiar, and he recognized the nail, as crazy as it sounded. Perfect almond shape, shell pink, a French manicure. But that was as far as his eyes went. Naohito was usually so perceptive and sharp. Perhaps his frazzled mind was making him a bit dense. In any case, he didn't recognize the pest, even when a familiar voice said, "Hey."

_What a rude person!_ Naohito fumed. _Such audacity! And how does this clown know my name? _He grunted and rocked a little bit further forward. He crossed his arms under his loose black hoodie. If the hood was up, he would be the quintessential depiction of an antisocial teen. He hoped the image of his grim face set in an irritated expression would scare the loser off.

No such luck. The finger poked his shoulder even more insistently. "Hey."

"Hmph."

"Naohitooooooooooooooo!!!"

A grumble.

"Yoo-hoo!!!"

Finally fed up, he tore his eyes into the extremely rude and annoying person. "What the hell is your problem?!" His eyes widened in recognition. Just his luck. Kimi Toudou was leaning in front of him. A lot of guys would kill for the chance to stand even ten centimeters in front of her, just admiring her beauty. And she was damn close, showing him what shouldn't be shown, to put it politely. (Not that Naohito was looking at her there. Because he was a gentleman. And not in the least bit interested in Kimi's measurements.)

He jerked back when her face came in close. A soft wind had sprung up. Her well-cared for black locks fluttered around her shoulders. The scent of her shampoo swam around him. Peach. Typical.

"Chibi-suke! Didn't you recognize my voice?" she trilled with a broad grin. Kimi crossed her arms and frowned. What was _with_ that girl? How could she swap emotions so quickly? "You must be going crazy if you couldn't recognize my voice."

He angrily snapped his head away. His rocking became more agitated. "Leave me alone, Kimi. I don't have time for your little games right now."

Kimi fumed. And she came here trying to cheer him up! Well, that would be the last time she did anyone a favor. Bringing sunshine into someone's day... Sure, it was about to be night, but so what? It was still daytime. And he was being very rude. She stuck out her lower lip (guys literally _died_ over that pout) as she gave an embellished sigh. "Mouuuuuu," she whined in her trademark cutesy voice. (Another aspect about her that guys loved. Everyone except Yuki. It wasn't fair! After being exposed to that lovely voice for so long, he should've been fainting! Maybe he was gay? Hmmmm... She wondered how she felt about that! She supposed if it was with a hot guy, like Haru, it would be okay... Of course, not even his hotness compared to Yun-Yun's.) "Such a sour face." With a heart-stopping smile, she leaned in to pinch his cheek. She waved it from side to side. "Such a sourpuss..."

He ripped his cheek away. The part where she pinched him already stung. It was probably red too. "You shouldn't do that!" He got up and angrily stomped away to the swing on the other side, as far away from her as possible. "Leave me alone!"

"You're acting like a baby," snickered Kimi. Undaunted, she walked over to him. He glared at her. Such a stupid walk. Naohito wasn't Yuki, so why was she floating? A flash of brilliance came to Naohito. To get rid of an airhead like Kimi, he had to match her wit, or lack thereof. Before she pranced her way completely to him, he extended his leg and drew a rough line in the dirt.

He smirked. "Force field."

Kimi bit her lip with wide doe eyes. "What?"

Triumphantly, he crowed, "Aliens aren't immune to this."

She cocked her head to the side, a concerned frown on her lips. Naohito thought she looked like a dog. "What's going on?"

"Idiots aren't allowed."

One minute. Two. Three. Four...

"I-Idiot?!" she exploded after a considerable amount of time.

"Yes. Geez, you're slow."

Kimi crossed her arms. "I'm not an idiot, Chibi-suke! And you just hurt my feelings, so you better take that back!"

Naohito snorted. "Like hell I will."

Kimi's dark eyes rolled up to God's ceiling. Orange was sizzling into a burnt sienna. She sighed, swapping blinding orange for soothing black. The sky would soon be this black. She tilted her chin up to the sky. The brisk air felt good on her skin, but for some reason, Kimi felt deeply unsettled. It couldn't be that he had seriously hurt her feelings... could it? Crap! Kimi threw her hands over cool eyelids in frustration. No, it couldn't be. No way in hell.

Naohito raised an eyebrow. Why hadn't she crossed the line? Why was she acting so weird? It scared him a bit. Kimi wasn't acting normal, as normal as she could be anyway. After all, Kimi _was_ Kimi. So perhaps even this fit in the line of her strange behavior, but even for her, this... something was strange. His mouth opened but no words came out.

"Hey, Chibi-suke."

"Call me by my name! It's not that hard! You did it before."

Kimi uncovered her eyes and looked down at her brown toes. She placed one tiny foot over the line, then looked up at him as if challenging him. She crossed her arms.

"Why are you so upset? You were like this all day today! It's getting me bummed!"

Kimi? Bummed? No way. Naohito would've snorted with the absurdity of it all if it wasn't for the fire in her eyes. He rose his chin a little and looked down at her from the curve of his nose. "Getting _you_ bummed? What about me?!"

"But you're always bummed. Always complaining. It makes me not want to be around you."

Naohito looked away as if to hide the pain in his eyes. "As if you ever want to be around me."

"Why would you say that?"

Soft, coarse voice...

He swung his eyes over to her. Was she on her period or something? Why was she having so many mood swings? Silly, stupid, happy, sad, depressed, annoyed, angry... He discovered a new-found respect for women. On top of having their menstrual cycle once or even twice a month, they had babies to give birth to and a whole slew of emotions to deal with, along with pain and discomfort. Jesus, didn't women ever get a break? Well, there was menopause but Naohito didn't want to think about such matters for too long.

Even so, that respect didn't reach Kimi Toudou. Because Kimi wasn't human. Kimi was an alien.

Not even PMS-ing women were as strange as her.

And she had tears in her eyes. Goddammit...

"W-What do you mean? It's true, isn't it?"

"Naohito..." Kimi's backside met the U-shaped seat of the swing beside him. "Do you like it?"

"It?" Naohito wrinkled his nose, a blush on his cheeks. Oh, Jesus, no. She wasn't about to get into the--

Kimi nodded, all seriousness. "Yes. It."

His blush became more pronounced. "It as in...?"

"Your job. As secretary. Do you like it?"

He snorted again. Liked it? Who cared if he _liked _it? If colleges saw him as a model student because of his duties as secretary, then wasn't it stupid to think only about his happiness? In all honesty, if it helped Naohito become a successful person in the real world, he would gladly fulfill his duty because that was what he was supposed to do.

But then he started to really think about it. He joined the Student Council because of Yuki. Yuki, his rival, the boy Kakeru had wrongly squealed was his first love. First love. More like first hate. He wasn't sure what it was about the guy, but something about him make his veins burn up and his skin crawl.

And yet Kimi liked him. And yet the president of the Yuki Fanclub, Motoko Minagawa, liked him. And Mio Yamaguchi and that other annoying girl with the pigtails, Minami something. Flowing ginger hair and two huge navy blue bows whipped around in his mind. He closed his eyes.

Yuki was taking all the things he wanted away from the one who deserved them.

Love.

Kindness.

Respect.

Reverence.

Yuki was the shining hope of Kaibara High. He was the gentleman, the handsome fellow with the charming smile. He was the go-to guy, so helpful and neat and so good at _goddamn everything_. What a boring guy! But Naohito wanted to be _that_ guy. Seeing his face, he didn't think he could take it. But how could he tell this to Kimi? She wouldn't want to hear a word against her crush. Naohito looked down at the ground.

"Well?" Kimi prodded when he wouldn't answer her immediately.

"It's fine," he bit out angrily. He never thought about these things before. Imagine, Kimi Toudou was the one making him think! Damn her for it, the nosy girl. "What's all this talk about liking anyhow?" he snapped. "It's none of your business!"

"Anything concerning you is my business!"

Kimi liked dipping her face in his personal space. She was near him again. Blushing, she stammered, "W-well, you're my partner in defending the school. A part of the School Defense Force! And you're someone I see everyday, a schoolmate, so..."

He grimaced. "School Defense Force?" The words tasted bitter in his mouth.

Kimi grinned. "Yep! Protecting every student in peril, especially the cute ones, from danger!"

"I hate that! You and him, treating it like it's some kind of game... Aren't you ashamed?"

She frowned. "Oh, c'mon, Chibi-suke. Lighten up. Today was that bad and--"

"Today? _**TODAY?!**_ How about everyday?!"

Her voice was small. "Like I said, it's not a big deal..."

"Kakeru danced around in plastic armor, singing some stupid song about how he's Black and how we should all have suits too!!! And you call that no big deal?! You really think it wasn't that bad?!"

"What's _bad_ is you, Chibi-suke. You need to lighten up." Her voice suddenly turned dreamy. "Haven't you ever gotten the urge to run through the dewy grass with bare feet at five in the morning or wanted to skinny dip?"

Naohito blushed. "No! Never!"

As if he'd shot her down (which he had done, in a way), Kimi darted him an injured look. "See! That's why everyone's so tense!"

"Tense? Tense?! You have no reason to be tense! Oh, but I, I have good enough reason to be tense!" Impassioned, the teen jumped to his feet. "You and Kakeru, you two just pal around and laugh at everything! We don't get work done. We never get any work done! And you know why? Well?!"

Silence. Naohito, still breathing heavily, slumped back into the swing. His butt was chaffing but he'd risk a little discomfort. But why? Did he really think he was getting through to Kimi? Naohito didn't know why he was sticking around. He was just getting angrier. She would never change. Such a thing would be very un-Kimi-like of her to do and oh, how she so _strove_ to stay in character! But dammit if he didn't feel even the tiniest morsel of remorse. _A battle of wills_, he reasoned. _Whoever leaves first is the loser._ Too bad he didn't believe his own lie.

Her hand went to his. He made a move to snatch it away, but she gripped up his fingers and rooted it to his leg. Their eyes clashed. "Hey." Kimi's voice was gentle. She almost sounded... vulnerable. Vulnerable? Not like her at all. Sure, she acted the role of helpless maiden a lot in front of Yuki, but it was always just an act. Smoke and mirrors. Not real at all. But now, right now, with her eyes softening, she was...

Human.

Real. Flawed. Not comically, overwhelmingly flawed, but...

Soft.

She wasn't giving him pouts or fake tears or putting on an act.

Kimi was herself.

And he liked this softness in her, this realness, but...

It hurt, seeing her like this.

Which was weird, considering how he made her the object of his dislike just moments ago.

"Hey, Chibi-suke--no, Naohito-kun. Do you hate us? Do you hate me?"

He looked into her huge eyes. They shone with such raw human emotion. It was scary.

No. Scary didn't describe it at all.

It was... moving.

How could one person allow themselves to be so exposed like this?

The world was a dangerous place and they were not friends.

If he were a less than decent person, he might've crushed her very soul.

He might have even taken advantage of her.

He hated to admit it, but when she was like this, Kimi was quite attractive.

Soft.

Feminine.

_**His.**_

_One thing Yuki doesn't have, _he crowed. _One thing I have over him. He's never seen this side of Kimi._

But that scared the hell out of him. He didn't want to be responsible for anyone but himself.

_And then there's-- _

"What?" he bleated, bewildered by these weird feelings along with her question.

Solemn eyes probed his with a bit of sadness, as if his hesitation had given her the answer, sealed, signed and delivered with no chance of a return.

"Well, do you?"

A gutsy wind sprang up. It audaciously flipped over the wine-colored pleats of her skirt. He tried not to look at her exposed thighs but the creamy flesh called to him. Kimi made no move to bring her skirt back to Earth. He didn't even think she noticed.

The wind died down but his voice spoke up.

"What are you saying? Of course not!"

He would've said anything,_** anything, **_to get rid of that face.

But when she smiled...

He knew he'd meant every word.

True, all of them were weird. Kakeru, with his jokes and randomness, Machi, with her gloominess, Yuki, with that indescribable something about him and Kimi, with her spontaneity, but he didn't hate them. And to think that Kimi felt this way shocked him. Who knew she had such depth?

Kimi released his hand quickly. She giggled. "No, of course not!" she parroted. "Oooh, Chibi-suke, you got a crush on all of us?"

Naohito fumed. Was she making fun of him? Forget that bullshit about depth. Kimi was about as philosophical as a piece of paper. She'd tricked him again. But before he could yell, she grabbed his hand and said, "I'm glad. Hey, Kimi wants to know, does Chibi-suke have someone he lovey-loves?"

"What's with all these questions?! It's none of your--"

Her face fell.

_Damn. _Naohito huddled into his beige jacket and pulled the collar around his ears."Her name is Motoko," he mumbled.

"What? I'm afraid I can't hear you!"

"I said, her name is Motoko!!!" Naohito blushed. He was sure even the tips of his ears were pink.

Kimi tilted her head and frowned. "Motoko? As in Motoko Minagawa?" she asked dubiously. "But she's--"

"Kimi," he said dangerously.

"Okay," she sighed. "I won't judge. So I guess you want her to be your lady," she joked as she nudged him in the ribs. "But why her?"

_Dammit, why did I tell?!_ But his heart softened thinking about her. Motoko Minagawa, a princess among commoners. While her adoring eyes followed him around, merely dreaming of being in Yuki's arms, Naohito prayed she would get over him and look his way. But only handsome, talented boys get the girls, not the plain, serious ones. I mean, look at Makoto Takei. He was weird and dedicated to his studies and the school. Naohito was almost certain he'd never been on a date. No. Make that _**very**_ certain. But why waste brain cells on him? Naohito shook his head.

Motoko. It was hard to keep the smile from his face! She kept making him smile.

Hiding his newest facial development, he said warmly, "She's cute."

"Cute? As in looks?"

Naohito nodded, but stammering and blushing rushed through his head. The way she'd duck into the Girls' Room whenever he passed, the way she fixed her hair, how her eyes darted around, half-nervous, half-hopeful to catch a mere glimpse of him... It was directed towards Yuki, but Naohito was affected by it too.

And all of her awkward gestures, her gawkiness, her blushes, her looks, were...

Somehow so precious.

"She's earnest. And that's cute," he said huskily.

A tiny stab ripped through Kimi's heart. Was it jealousy? _No_, she told herself sternly. She thought back to when she'd conned Yuki into sharing the candy those Yuki fangirls had bought for him. The look on Little Motoko's face when she slipped the candy slowly into her mouth and let it melt on her tongue was priceless, sweeter than any candy those girls could buy. But earnest? Cute? Motoko was so plain-looking! She was hardly a beauty compared to Kimi.

"But Kimi can be earnest too!" she cried as she tackled him with a hug. Through his complaints (really, he sounded like an old man sometimes!), she seized his hand. "Let's swing together," she said, eyes glowing impishly with excitement. "If two people hold hands while swinging, close their eyes and sing _Dosa dosa!_ in their heads five times fast, their dearest wish will come true!" A smirk. "You can wish for your dear Motoko's hand in marriage."

"What? K-Kimi, no!" But Kimi had already started soaring higher into the sky. And his poor hand was grasped so tightly in hers! He had no choice but to fly with her. She turned her head and winked at him.

"Take a chance!"

And then they soared.

He didn't know how long it had been. All he knew was that as his eyes were closed, he wished as fervently as he could.

The trip back to Earth was a reluctant one. He opened his eyes.

Kimi laughed...

And Naohito laughed with her.

It was a weird, awkward sound to his ears. Was that really how he sounded like when he laughed? But the sensation soothed him. He laughed some more. His eyes filled with tears, his lungs ached for breath and yet he still laughed.

Kimi's eyes widened as she watched this boy, this stranger, laugh. A transformation went over them.

Naohito was a _guy_.

His bangs were windblown and his cheeks were red from his laughter.

His eyes crinkled up at the corners and he almost looked, well...

_Hot._

The laughter died down. Naohito found the oddest expression on Kimi's face, a mixture between shock and something else he couldn't name.

"What? What is it?"

Kimi's face broke out into a gigantic grin. She punched his arm. "You actually laughed! Ohmygoodi-good-goodness, Kimi's a celebrity! Kimi must've been the first to see Naohito the Grim laugh!" Naohito's mouth flopped into a smile. Kimi gasped as she pretended to faint. "So handsome! You could be a model!"

Embarrassed, Naohito stood up, blushing. Such nonsense. "I... still think you're annoying. One meeting isn't going to change that. And... you're flighty and foolish. You're like a different species, but... I think I understand you a little bit more. And I can tolerate you, I think. Since we're going to be stuck with each other for a while, we should at least try to get along. So let's meet half-way... and try to make this school year as pleasant as possible." He looked at her over his shoulder. "And about that face... That sad face you showed me... Don't show that face to anyone else. I mean, they might get the wrong idea and... you don't look half bad when you do that, so..."

Kimi blushed. The wind had sprung up and his light hair was waving in the air. He really _could_ be a model.

"Well, I still think you're too serious and uptight, but you're an okay guy, I guess. B-but you're not better than Yuki!" she stammered. "He's my number one!"

Naohito laughed and then walked away. But his feet stopped.

"Hey, Kimi!"

Kimi looked up. He turned around, sticking his hands in his coat pockets. The zipper was open and the flaps moved briefly in the wind.

"I'm really curious to know... What planet are you from?"

Kimi grinned. With closed eyes and a friendly wave, she told him.

"Neptune!"

* * *

Some of you might be wondering: why Neptune? Why not Mars or Venus or some made-up planet? (I can actually picture Kimi making up her own planet. That's how strange and lovable she is.) Well, I can't really tell you! As I was writing this (late at night too, so I guess you can blame its weirdness on that), Neptune just came to mind. Also, you can look at it this way: Neptune is associated with Pisces. Those born under this astrological sign are known to be emotional. It doesn't necessarily mean that Kimi is a Pisces. I was referring to that raw Kimi, the sadness she only showed Naohito when she thought he hated all of them. It might interest you to know that I'm a Pisces too! (Ah, f-ck it, no one gives a shit if I'm a Pisces.) 


	3. Twenty

I'm afraid updates are getting fewer and farther in between, huh. I'm sorry for the inconsistency, but I'm trying my hardest to get some sort of rhythm up. I had crazy allergies today and I can still feel the after-effects, but I wanted to post a new chaptory (ha, chapter/story. New word!) as compensation for you guys, so you better be grateful!! (I kid, I kid, but trust me, you do not want to move to Connecticut if you have bad allergies. Damn trees...) Well, enough rambling from me. On to the storyter! (Ha, story/chapter. Another made-up word! I'm stupid, I know.)

_Title:_ Twenty

_Rating:_ K+

_Pairing:_ Kazuma x Hana, but not quite...

_Theme:_ Age can sometimes be nothing but a number, but most of the time, it does matter.

_Notes:_

**(1) **About the title: _Twenty_ seemed to appeal to me for some reason. It's an even number and it sounds kinda smooth. (Huh?) A member of this website told me that twenty is the legal age of adulthood in Japan, which I found interesting. Perhaps that was in the back of my mind when I wrote this story.

**(2)** I found Hana a hard character to narrate for: she's mysterious and doesn't seem to show much emotion. Likewise, since I don't know all that much about Kazuma (except that he's a martial arts master who can't cook, he's a good father figure to his son, he's kind and he likes Shigure-sensei's novels!), some of his words and/or actions may be OOC. I like to keep the characters as IC as possible, so I apologize if something seems amiss. I took the situation at hand, a break-up over the phone, and intensified the emotions a bit. So although it may seem weird for Kazuma or Hana to yell or scream, please take the situation into account. I have no problems with age differences; in fact, in such cases such as Kyoko and Katsuya, it can actually work. But the age difference between Hana and Kazuma is very large. There's too much of a generation gap, so it's doubtful that such a relationship could work.

* * *

"I think we should break up." 

Crackly, disjointed voice. It must've been the phone. Saki Hanajima tilted her head to the side, chunky weathered black phone pressed hard to her ear. A sharp groove like a cat scratch dug into her earlobe.

It was a rainy Friday night and Hana was spending her time in a phone booth. Sheets of icy rain fell in unrelenting sheets around the young girl. She pressed a black-nailed hand to the cool glass. A hand print stood out in the condensation, then faded away. Her hands were so much smaller than his.

"You don't mean that," Hana replied dully.

Her boyfriend was approaching his forties. She was sixteen. They had been going out secretly for about three months. Kazuma and Hana hadn't had any major problems in their relationship except this. But Kazuma was just teasing her. Joking with her kindly, as he usually did, with a laugh and that adorable smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle up boyishly. He couldn't be serious. Ignoring the ominous waves that told her otherwise, she added, "Come quickly. Our dinner reservation is at eight."

"Hana-chan, have you ever thought about it?"

She adjusted the phone so that it was strangled between her black laced shoulder and her studded ear. She could practically hear his breathing and that electric twang old phones sometimes had. A bit of static washed over her like the crashing waves of a gulf, but Hana did not feel comforted. "Thought about what?" she asked innocently, playing dumb.

"How we look together."

Hana considered the question. Hana had long dark rippling hair that was usually tied back in a twist, and Kazuma was tall with shoulders that stretched on for eternity. A tall, masculine frame, strong hands, a gorgeous face... And she was his little flower, albeit she was a very black flower. Kazuma was raw and open with his emotions. Hana seemed to be completely emotionless. But besides her family, Tohru and Uo, only Kazuma understood how wrong that was. Hana showed her feelings in her own calm way. Just because she didn't smile a lot or bounce around didn't mean she was solemn. She loved his quiet understanding, his strength, his gentleness. But did he really think they looked strange together?

"We make a cute couple," she replied thoughtfully after a pause.

He sighed. "Hana."

"We look... good together." She changed the subject. "Kazuma-kun, it's raining. I hope you'll bring an umbrella."

"I'm too old for you."

Finally, the blade that sliced through her soul. Why couldn't he just forget that? Hana nearly had. "I don't want to hear that." To the casual listener, Hana might have sounded calm, but only Kazuma could detect the tiny tremor upsetting the balance of her voice. She slid right back down into her easy monotone after a moment. "Age doesn't matter. We both promised we wouldn't worry about it. It isn't a problem. Only if we make it a big problem will it seem important. But love is important. Understanding is important. And we have that. The rest shouldn't matter."

"I think it does matter. Just because we try to ignore it doesn't mean it won't go away."

"We can try."

"Hana. The way we look together... I mean really look together... Have you ever thought about it?"

"You're... young-looking. You could easily pass for twenty. That's not so bad, is it?"

He sighed. "Yes, except I'm not twenty."

"What's your point?"

"Well... because of our age difference, we always have to meet secretly. And we can't take pictures together because..." Hana could sense his squirming discomfort.

"Because?"

He hastily switched gears. "Never mind. The point is I'm too old for you and you're too young for me. Way too young."

"I don't care."

"You should care. Surely you don't want an old man with a son."

"If that old man is you, then yes. You're only as old as you feel."

Kazuma sighed. "I feel worn out."

"Because of me?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. Family troubles."

"Has Kyou been acting out? If he causes you any trouble, he'll have to face the wrath of his mother."

"That's another thing. You're too young to be responsible for a child."

"Kyou's growing up. He doesn't need me."

"My family is too troubled. I could never let you get hurt."

"Let me get hurt. If it's for you, I'll gladly die. We all have our secrets."

"Don't throw such pretty words around so carelessly, Hana-chan. They mean something."

"I'm not throwing words around. I truly mean it. I would die for you."

"I'd be putting you in danger! Don't you understand that?"

"Yes. I'll face danger. I'll face anything. I love you, Kazuma."

His voice was pleading. "Don't say that, Hana-chan."

"Why?"

"Because I just might give in."

"Then surrender. Give in to me."

A chuckle, but this one was sad. "A young girl like you really shouldn't know how to speak like that."

"I've read a lot of Shigure's romance novels."

He chuckled again. "Life isn't as rosy as his novels."

"The last one I read was sad. Will our love story be sad?"

"Not if you listen to me. It doesn't have to be painful."

"Don't treat me like a child."

"You are one."

"You've never treated me like a child. You've treated me like an adult. Well, I can play your game too. I refuse to obey you."

"Do you think I'm enjoying this? Do you think this is easy for me? Hana, I love you too!!"

"Then you wouldn't do this to me. You'd hold me and tell me you love me. You stood me up tonight to make me hate you, but you told me to call you if you were late. You're confusing me."

"Men are confusing, Hana-chan. Wait."

"For what?"

"For real love. Love that's closer to your age. I've lived most of my life and you're just starting yours. It would be selfish of me to rob you of your childhood. You need time to grow, to really understand yourself, what you want out of yourself and out of life. I have to let you go and you're not making it easy for me!"

"How?"

Kazuma laughed bitterly. "Do you really need to ask? You intrigue me. I'm enthralled by your spirit. You've lived a hard life and your sadness was what attracted me to you. You were so damaged, so much like Kyou. But I can't treat Kyou like a son and you like a woman. You could be my daughter! Can you honestly say you'd be happy giving your life to me?"

"Yes."

"You're not thinking about the future."

"Adults are such gloomy creatures. Always worrying about what hasn't happened yet."

"Children amaze me. They trust themselves to work everything out, looking at the here-and-now instead of being realistic. So carefree and innocent."

"Now you're making fun of me."

"What makes you say that?"

"You're not taking me seriously."

"Neither are you."

"I'm not taking me seriously?"

"No. You're not taking me seriously. You're the one teasing me."

"I disagree."

"Could you tell your friends about us?"

"They'd understand."

"I can't show you any affection in public."

"I know you still love me."

"I can't take you to the prom."

"Who said I wanted to go?"

"I can't use a cell phone!"

Hana smiled. "Neither can I."

"A solution for everything!"

"The best thing about being young is thinking you can do anything."

"I've lost my youthful hope."

"I have enough for the both of us."

"Hana. It's over."

"For you but not for me. Think I'm giving up? Think again."

_Click._

It was over. It really was over. And Hana did see. She had tried so hard to pretend that the age difference didn't matter, but it did. They couldn't enjoy themselves freely like a normal couple. Always jumpy, always nervous, always secretly meeting.

The dialtone...

Hana panicked, suddenly feeling claustrophobic. It felt like the cruel glass walls were closing in on her. She let the phone drop. It dangled from its metal cord lifelessly. Five minutes. Ten. Fifteen. Hana slumped to the floor. She held her knees and buried her face in her arms, but she couldn't cry. It had just struck her. She wouldn't hear his voice anymore. She wouldn't melt in his arms, see him laugh or smile... If he had broken up with her in person, it would've been better. Instead of that cold, bodiless voice saying it was over...

Hana pounded her fists into the wall. "You coward. You broke up with me over the phone. You say it's so hard for you, but it's easy. Coward!" She squeezed her eyes shut...

Her eyes sprang open when she heard pounding on the glass. "Hana!"

Hana looked up, a few wispy tendrils of her hair getting in the way. Kazuma, a worried frown on his face, tried to open the door. She flung it open and glared at him. "Go away, Kazu--" But he grabbed her close to his chest and squeezed her. Her arms went around his shoulders. She closed her eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Hana," he said into her hair. She felt rain and tears on her shoulder. "I acted like a coward. Breaking up with you over the phone, standing you up... I thought it would be so much better, but it was only convenient for me. I'm sorry. Adults really are selfish," he laughed, his voice cracking. "Just like Ayame said. But I can't love you. I know you can't change how you feel, but I'm going to try. When I took Kyou in, it was to atone for my own dirtiness. I can't do the same with you, keeping you for my own happiness."

"Kazuma... Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"When I turn twenty, will you want me then?"

Kazuma held her close as she broke down in his arms and sobbed.


	4. Lies

**Title:** Lies

**Rating:** T

**Theme: **Trust is an important factor in loving someone. If you can only find reason for suspicion in that person, how can that relationship work? (Especially if it's with Shigure. He's so vague and mysterious, but that's why we love him, right?)

**Pairing:** An un-Rin x Shigure

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket.

_X X X X X X X_

It was like she was going in to see a diabolical villain.

For one thing, she couldn't see his face. He was seated in his swivel chair with his back to her. The blinds were drawn, draping an even darker cloak of mystery over the room. From between dingy white slits Rin could see clouds merge in the sky. She shivered. Rin had been caught in the downpour and her skimpy lacy black dress hadn't protected her at all. Freezing soaked goosebumps dotted her skin.

"Gure-nii."

Shigure slowly turned around. He took off his glasses as he slowly smiled--a devil's advocate smile. In that gesture alone, he seemed to be taunting her and crying lustfully for souls and sin. The smile stayed in the same region. His analytical russet eyes ravenously devoured her whole. She swore his eyes acted as a monster's sharp teeth: they tore through her skin and digested her very soul. She shivered again, this time on the inside. She didn't like being searched like this.

His mouth and eyes swapped expressions. Shigure leaned forward. He slammed his elbows decisively over the massive desk. Shigure locked his fingers. She assumed it was to make her flinch. She gave him no such gratification. He chuckled.

"Ah. Hello, Rin. What brings you here?" Another dry chuckle. "Have you come to wreak more havoc on my study?"

Rin shot him an ugly, withering glare before sweeping dark eyes over his study. Papers were cycloned everywhere, some messily inked with stories, some completely blank. Books were thrown about with torn pages and smudged ink. Even clothes were strewn about with total disregard for their owner. Pockets were turned inside out. The suit he had conned from Hatori was a crumpled heap by the knocked over bookshelf, obviously scavengered through as well. Even the blinds were horribly askew, but that was more a response to Rin's impatience and anger than anything else. Rin had searched his desk and checked his PC. Nothing in Shigure's possession had been safe.

And after all that effort, what had she been rewarded with?

Zilch. The room was adamant in protecting its elusive master's secrets.

His devilish smile stretched even wider over his face, baring some teeth. His demonically handsome face was now a mask of amusement. Or was it scorn? Rin wasn't sure.

Shigure gestured to the overturned wooden chair that had been tossed somewhere in the orbit of his desk. "Have a seat."

Rin balled her hands into fists. She fixed her face into a grimace. "No thank you," she said stiffly. "And what kind of person offers someone an overturned chair? You're not a very good host."

Shigure snickered. "You conveniently forgot that you're the one responsible for the state of that chair. And it's not like I let you in here or anything." He sighed. "Oh, Rin, how I've missed you. The reigning queen of ice, as usual. Or perhaps fire suits you best?"

Rin quirked an eyebrow. "Like the fires of hell?"

"Interesting. You consider yourself damned then?"

"I don't believe in hell. I don't believe in heaven. And I most certainly don't believe in you, Shigure."

"Interesting views, but I can't say I really care. Why think about such unpleasantries when there are so many more pleasant routes for our thoughts to take?" A pause. "Why don't you go change."

A commandment, not a question.

"No."

"You'll catch a cold."

"I don't care."

Slowly he got up from his shadowy throne. He slithered toward her, those brown eyes still glowing--always glowing--enigmatically. He claimed her by the wrist. Rin angrily rejected his touch.

Undeterred he roughly grabbed her jaw. He squeezed freezing fingertips around it. One hand moved up north. A gasp nearly wheezed from Rin's frail lungs but he squeezed her cheeks together so that her mouth was puckered and even more exposed. She was paralyzed with disgust and fear as he traced her full mouth with his fingertips.

"You should care," he advised in a low voice. His eyes narrowed. The canyon between his lips shrank into a thin, bland line haunted by only a ghost of a smile. He threw her jaw to the shadows as if she were a sweater instead of a person. But he still maintained their very close shared personal space. "Going in and out recklessly like this isn't doing anything for your health. Didn't you just get admitted to the hospital? Rest, Rin, and eat, for God's sake."

"The curse," Rin bit out in a shaking voice. "You know something, don't you?!" Her eyes grew in size. She let a pale, skinny arm direct her fury at his face. "How do I break the curse? Tell me!!! TELL ME!!!!!"

Shigure caught her violent hand tightly by the wrist before she did worse damage on him than she had on his study. "I know about as much as you do," he answered smoothly, flinging her arm back as if it were a mere ugly broken shell he was tossing back into sea. "Just because I'm close to our God doesn't mean he tells me everything. He happens to look down on me. He looks down on everyone. Now will you please change?" He presented her with a rumpled grey yukata. It dripped in creases and wrinkles from his hands. "You can wear this."

Rin flicked her dark mane away from her face with a toss of her head. She wrinkled her delicate nose at the yukata as she glared at it. There was a faint displeasing odor coming from it, but that wasn't why she was disgusted. The stench of his dishonesty was far greater than any scent perceived through sense of smell. She snatched up the yukata and hurled it angrily to the ground.

"You said about. That means you do know something."

Shigure's shoulders quaked from under his yukata. He wiped away a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye. "There goes my Rin, always overanalyzing things, dissecting words, playing detective." He raised his chin like the son of a king. "But I hold no secrets." He spread his arms wide to proclaim his innocence. "Trust me."

Rin would've laughed scornfully if she weren't so busy interrogating him with her eyes. His every gesture and facial contortion betrayed no guilty conscience on his name, not that she was expecting this. But he didn't divulge any guilt to begin with. It was strange and hard to describe. Shigure knew something--she understood this--and it was as clear-cut as a diamond under glaring department store lights. At the same time, Shigure laughingly, tauntingly, waved a gauzy curtain over it so that the brilliance only came in brief flashes. Now if only she could see past the misty deception...

Shigure let his arms faint in defeat next to his obliques. He gave a mock defeated sigh. "Okay," he assented. "Hate me. Glare at me with those pretty dark eyes of yours and make me out to be the villain. Fine. I don't care. But what I do care about is you. This behavior is yours is quite disturbing. But if you want to take my concern for you and turn it into something ugly, then I won't stop you. Just keep this in mind. Breaking and entering, not to mention vandalizing and potentially stealing, is a crime. I could have you, ah, how shall I say it... put in an unfortunate situation if not for the generosity and kindness in my heart."

Rin was startled, to say the least. She couldn't even pretend to hide the shock from her face. The man was more perceptive than she'd thought and she hadn't even stolen anything yet. But she gathered her composure and shot him a sizzling glare. She raised an eyebrow, cocked her hip out and slammed her hand over the protruding space.

"Are you calling me a thief?"

"I'm not calling you anything but sad and misguided."

He'd hit a nerve. Time to steer the conversation into a subject as far away from her and her troubled past as possible. "Where's Princess Idiot and her merry band of loyal followers?" she snarled, obtusely ignoring his black honey voice and the venom within.

"If you mean Tohru-kun, Yuki and Kyon, they're out grocery shopping. They'll be gone for a couple of hours." A dramatic pause, steeped in sultry possibilities. "We're all alone. It's just you and me."

Rin didn't see any possibilities other than punching his face in. "Shouldn't you be above such cliches? You are a writer."

"And a very successful one at that!" he sang. "One who will live to be a hundred and twelve and churn out many books. But you might not be so lucky if you don't warm up soon."

"Oh, I'll warm up!" Rin strode across the room and slid behind his desk. He spun around and wore an interested expression. Sex? his gaze seemed to say. But she barely noticed as her shaking hands roughly yanked open drawers.

"Searching again!" But secrets wasn't all Rin was after, although her eyes did gallop here and there searching for clues. Finally, avalanched under a hard-cover romance novel with a ragged spine, a stack of papers, and a mangled pack of pens, she spotted the crushed carton of cigarettes.

One stick popped up under the coercion of Rin's tightly-clenched fist. She stuck it between her lips and let her wild eyes skitter atop his desk. She finally found what she was looking for.

"Rin..." was the only thing he offered in the way of concern, but she ignored him. Her thumb flicked over the lighter wheel. Once. Twice. Click, click. Only a spark, then nothing.

"Lighter fluid," she said dully.

He grabbed the lighter and held it gingerly between his thumb and forefinger. She reached for it but he pulled it away with a smile.

"Allow me."

First came hate, then suspicion, then, oddly enough, submission. From her index and middle fingers she held out the cigarette as far away from her person as she could. With a grin, he flicked the wheel once with his thumb. A flame sprang up. She leaned forward to ignite the tip.

She let the cigarette linger at the entrance of her mouth. "Why?"

Shigure let out a sigh. His whole skeletal frame seemed to go with it. "Because you need a smoke, kid. You've had it rough. Even I can see that. But I am worried about your health. I don't think your lungs can take the smoke."

Rin took a defiant drag and spat the smoke in his face. As if he had uttered a premonition, her face screwed up in pain as her throat itched and burned. She immediately coughed.

Finally he looked worried. "Rin! Are you okay?" But Rin couldn't cough up an answer, although she found she could cough just fine. Fire seemed to ooze through her stomach and up her lungs. Even her skeleton screamed as if it were being used for a bonfire. She grabbed her midsection and slumped to the floor. Smoke sizzled in her lungs and screamed to expel the toxic fumes. Stop punishing me! her body seemed to shriek.

His hand landed on top of her head. "I'll get you a glass of water." From the darkness her hair sprayed over her face, she saw a dim image of her cousin running to the kitchen. Meanwhile, Rin continued to cough, hacking, soul-jarring coughs that ejected phlegm and bits of blood from from her throat. She ground her toe into the mess, hoping to disguise it. Her stomach hissed with acid. Tiny pricks attacked the back of her throat. Panic fluttered against her ribs in the form of her pulsing heart. No, please no! Rin pleaded. Don't throw up! Please!

He returned. The lip of a cup was shoved to her mouth. "Drink," he urged.

With no further prompting, Rin grabbed the glass and greedily drank. Water oozed down her chin, over her breasts. She shivered.

Shigure noticed. "Hold on. I'll get you some soup." Shigure held a hand to her forehead. He frowned. "You want me to call Hatori?"

Unable to speak, she simply shook her head no. He disappeared again.

Trembling, Rin stood and looked around. She staggered forward. Perhaps she could do some more investigating. There had to be one book she had overlooked, a word she hadn't read carefully enough, something!

Time stretched its legs slowly in front of her. Everything became a hazy falling white. In a far-off place, a child was crying. Grey waved in the distance now and words were being said, but she couldn't tell what they meant or who the words were coming from.

When Shigure's footsteps echoed in the hall, Rin came back.

He was carrying a small tray of something hot in his hands. She sucked in a breath as he approached her. "How long...?"

Shigure smiled sheepishly. "Twenty minutes."

Twenty minutes? Had it really been that long? It had only seemed a mere instant since the last time he'd left. Rin crushed a lily petal hand to her forehead as a sharp jab cornered her brain. She had a real distortion of time. All that wasted time...

"Now there'll be none of that," he ordered sternly, pressing her to the ground with a strong hand. "No more snooping." He pushed the chipped bowl of soup towards her. "Eat."

She looked deep into the steaming bowl. The liquid looked light grey due to the severe lack of light in the room. Speaking of which, why didn't he turn on the lights? It was probably to frighten her. But the darkness no longer scared her. Eyes burning with defiance, she pushed it away with a grimace. "I hate tomato soup," she hissed.

"Tohru made it. It's delicious. And you look gaunt. I know you haven't been eating." He pushed the bowl with more force this time. The liquid almost sloshed over the side. "Eat."

Her stomach gave off a low growl. She was hungry but she couldn't give in again. No, she wasn't weak, not like that smiling fool and that sulky, whiny Cat. And she sure as hell wasn't that nosy, persistent piece of shit Rat Yuki.

Another growl, but this one tore itself from her throat as she grabbed the bowl and shoveled the red soup into her mouth. She moaned softly. It felt so good to give in. He was right. It was delicious. Small pieces of succulent tomatoes stuck deliciously in her mouth, so rich in flavor. The liquid settled soothingly warm in her needy stomach. More, more, more!!! her body urged. It was one order she wasn't hesitant to obey. A thunder bolt lit up the sky and thunder rattled in her ears. Soup dribbled down her chin. With the wildly starving and delirious look look in her eyes and her unsmiling dripping red mouth, Rin had the uncanny appearance of a vampire greedily sucking down blood.

"I'm sorry," he cooed as he squatted down and placed a hand on her cheek. "Sometimes I forget how frail you are, even with all your strength." He gestured to the destruction site as verification. He looked down at the glass ashtray which held her now dead squashed cigarette and sighed. "This family is full of sick people. Yuki has problems with his bronchial tubes, you--"

Rin wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and shimmied out from under his touch. The bowl was dumped crudely to the ground. "That's only two," she spat. "The rest of this family is chock full of healthy, happy little fools. Like Hiro. And Satsuki. And... everyone."

Shigure stood. He crossed his arms. "You're forgetting Akito. He's sick and he's far from happy."

She looked away as she got to her feet. "He doesn't count. He's not... family." Angry irises ground into his. "He's not family yet you're protecting him. Why? What way does it benefit you?"

"He's family, whether you like it or not, Rin." He paused. "As for how it benefits me," his smile deepened, became more sinister, "I suppose we'll see. But in all seriousness, Rin, you shouldn't treat him with such disrespect."

"Am I supposed to bow down to him like he's a king?"

"You're supposed to at least try and see things from his view. You should have more compassion for him. You share his blood. We share his blood. Surely he would cry if he knew how much you scorned him."

"He would do no such thing. He's incapable of tears."

"He's capable of feeling a lot more than you think. He has his burdens too."

He has his burdens too? An inside chuckle. What a laugh.

"What are yours?"

He gave her a sad smile. "I can't tell."

"You never can." Using long strides from her tall legs, she tried to get as far away from the jellyfish Dog as possible.

"I wasn't lying when I said I care about you," he shouted at her scarred back. "Just know that."

Rin's combat booted feet paused at the threshold. She spun around.

Shigure, smiling while standing in the midst of chaos, as usual.

_What a fool._

The formidable night sent her a frosty gust of wind as a welcome to the outside world. Rin looked up. Fat raindrops stabbed her eyes.

And that was when it came to her.

_A person in the snow flickered hazily into view. His black hair covered his eyes and he was crouched low. Two small feet in snow boots showed up below his nose. He looked up through his bangs. Tears went down blood-flecked cheeks. Someone else's blood._

_The unsmiling child who had approached him tilted her black umbrella up into the unforgiving sky. Such a grave child. How unusual it was to see such an expression of solemnity on a young person's face, but she had seen horrific things. Those eyes set in her pale face like chunks of unshining onyx were old eyes._

_Her young voice was a dull monotone. "Why are you crying?"_

_The boy smiled. His hand poured over her small head._

_"Children shouldn't know what goes on in the hearts of beasts. I care too much about you to burden you, Isuzu-chan."_

Flicker, then fade. The vision died.

Rin's hands balled into fists. "He's always like that," she hissed in a trembling voice, unsure of whether to cry or scoff. "He's always been so stupid. Fool! Fool! Fool!"

Her heart wrenched painfully in her chest but she shook her head in disbelief as she walked away. But she stopped and looked over her shoulder. A bulky silhouette was painted behind a rice paper window, light shining all around the soft shadow. And then it was gone. Another boy's smiling face came to mind and another shake of her head met his grey eyes. Oh, but how her heart burned for him, ached for what could never be.

_Too many shadows to contend with. What I need now is light._


	5. Monster

This is unrelated to this story, but in Story 3, _Twenty_, I'm afraid I made a silly error. I said that twenty was the legal age of adulthood, but what I meant to add was that it's the age of adulthood in Japan. I fixed it, but I'm still kinda embarrassed... Okay, on to the story!

**_Title:_** Monster

**_Rating:_** K+

_**Theme:**_ Respect, like love, can thrive even in darkness.

_**Pairing:**_ One-sided Akito x Kyo

_**Notes:**_

**(1)** I seem to be doing a lot of one-sided/sad love stories, huh. I don't mean to be so depressing, really. Rest assured, some happy storyters are coming your way!

**(2)** In Kyo's part, he refers to Akito as he. But since this is based on the manga, Akito is indeed a she.

**(3)** In a certain part of this story, I refer to Tohru's eyes as being brown because the manga covers depict her with that feature.

_**Disclaimer:**_ I disclaim Fruits Basket. Not that I claimed it in the first place...

* * *

Respect and fear. 

The two swam into each other.

But not for Kyo.

He only feared Akito.

Only hated the tall, dark, sinister figure who insulted Tohru.

_She_ wasn't the monster.

Akito was.

And Kyo was.

Sometimes he was filled with so much blind hatred, he couldn't stand it.

He wanted to lash out at him.

Scream!

Yell!

Make him bleed!

But what would that prove?

What would that solve?

Nothing.

Because whatever Akito wanted, Akito got.

His words were law.

Just the caliber of his voice was enough to make the most outspoken person meek.

Kyo had no escape from his evil, taunting smile.

He could only vent on Yuki, his oldest rival.

Since the time of man, the Rat and the Cat were sworn enemies.

The Rat outsmarted the Cat.

Time and...

Time and...

Time again.

And nothing would change that.

No matter how much bigger the Cat got...

...or how much he trained...

He'd still be met with a fist and a blow to his pride.

His very soul would crack.

And it would always be this way.

The Rat was the clever one who had tricked the Cat after all.

The Rat had spewed sweet aromatic lies into the Cat's gullible, trusting ear.

And the Cat had gone to sleep, believing he would have God's grace.

The banquet passed under his eyes...

And in the real world.

Because of that damn Rat, it was the Cat who was evil.

The Cat was a monster.

The Cat was cursed.

Untouched by the hand of God.

The odd number.

The outsider.

The naive, gullible, trusting...

Fool.

* * *

Anger and disgust. 

The two bled into each other.

Akito couldn't stand Kyo.

The very thought of touching him revolted her.

She wouldn't dare touch him in any way but in hatred.

She said so herself.

_'I feel sick... from touching him so much.'_

He was a menace.

With his orange hair and bloodred eyes.

Was he normal?

No.

What human had hair like his?

Blood-thirsty eyes like his?

The pure color of flames, of undying rage.

One would assume he was a bonfire.

And they would be right.

Straight from hell. That monster came straight from hell.

So he couldn't be human.

He was a monster.

Worthless.

Stupid.

Foolish.

Disgusting.

Smelly little monster.

He did not deserve God's pity.

And that was why he deserved to be confined.

Locked up.

Imprisoned until he died.

Until he choked on his own despair and sins and died.

His greatest sin was being born and inciting God's wrath.

He was damned from the beginning.

So he deserved to be alone.

It was really his fault. His fault for thinking he could change things.

Silly boy. What did he know? Didn't he realize that he would always...

...always...

Always be inferior to everyone?

Especially the Rat.

He couldn't beat him.

Ah, such a tragedy.

Kyo could train as hard and as much as he wanted.

It wouldn't make a difference.

He couldn't change time.

Time, the continuously flowing thing that had one component of calm.

The past could not be changed.

For the past dictated that the Rat was stronger than the Cat.

The Rat was faster, cleverer, superior in every way to him.

The past dictated that he was worthless.

His cursed, tainted, dirty blood, which ran through his veins and gave his miserable life hell, told him he meant nothing.

His beads, which hung around his wrist as the unchanging reminder of why he was and would always be inferior, protected his dirty little secret.

His true form.

A twisted, gnarled brown body, shiny and greasy with slime. Distorted face. Demonic eyes. Sharp, salivating teeth. That putrid stench...

Who he was inside.

_What_ he was inside.

It really was for his own good.

He couldn't change time.

Every Cat before him had lived and died in solitude.

Kazuma's grandfather and the person in the generation before his, and the next, and the next.

All living without joy.

Friends.

Light.

Peace.

Tranquility.

Love.

It wasn't like Kyo had much love from his parents to miss.

His real father despised him.

His mother committed suicide because of him.

Everyone knew she couldn't handle it.

The strain...

The secrecy...

The shame...

The lie.

The lie she told him over and over again that he was loved, that she accepted and loved him.

Poor, pitiful Kyo!

He couldn't even hang onto his mother.

What made him think he deserved any kind of love or understanding?

What made him think he was fit to even breathe?

So he should draw his last breath away from the clean world, lest he spread his contamination.

There would be no one to mourn his death.

Just a quiet existence, a birth and a passing.

He'd been allowed to have comforts, the poor creature.

But it would all have to end.

The bet drawn up between them... Little Kyo had lost it as soon as he was born.

A pity.

Kyo would have nothing.

Just as the Cat deserved.

Perhaps she would let the girl see him.

He'd be caged up like an animal and her pretty brown eyes would widen in disgust and shock.

Kyo would try to claw his way to her.

He would beg her to stay.

But she would run away.

He probably even deserved her.

The little monster.

The stupid, wretched little monster.

Always smiling, never once losing her temper, always understanding everything.

She was inhuman.

Just like the miserable Cat.

Such a fool!

The both of them, fools!

But Akito would not allow him even that.

The pleasure of seeing her even from a distance.

Her soft words, her touch, her kindness, her sweet smile.

He treasured these things in her.

The soft gazes he gave her, those sappy smiles.

She would have to put a stop to that.

Immediately.

For you see, Akito was deathly jealous of her.

How surprising, was it not? The infuriating, angry little boy, she had grown to** love** him.

He tried and tried and tried...

And failed and failed and failed...

And the little weed, so resilient, would pop right back up.

But this was not all his doing.

It was Tohru's doing.

That meddlesome girl's doing.

That parasite, who deserved nothing but sorrow.

If she hadn't meddled, maybe Kyo would love only her.

So maybe she would confine Kyo.

Lock him up.

Make him her prisoner.

And she would give him food and water to fuel his miserable existence.

He would pray for for death.

God would refuse.

And even if his garnet eyes sparkled with rage, she would still refuse.

Oh, but she wouldn't leave him completely alone.

That would be inhumane.

Akito would visit him for other purposes than to feed him.

Maybe she would even have a nice chat with him.

And she would tell him about what was going on in the outside world.

It would almost be like he was there.

And the news concerning Tohru... Well, she would have to tell it all.

After all, Tohru was young and stupid.

She would grow up and probably marry a nice boy who was just as stupid as her.

A normal boy.

And she would tell him.

That way, Kyo would lose hope in her.

He might even come to hate her.

And soon Akito would be his light, his world.

And maybe those hard eyes would soften with gratitude.

In a few years' time, they might even soften with love.

Love? Could it happen?

Could she receive those gazes, those looks, those smiles?

Could he worship her for protecting him from the monsters in this world?

If only he could see it from her side.

She didn't want him to praise her, honor her, love her in darkness.

It had to be this way.

Because, you see, Akito couldn't smile tenderly from the heart.

She wasn't healthy and pretty like her.

She couldn't giggle or blush or stammer idiotically, which for some reason Kyo found cute.

Akito respected Kyo in a way.

The monster that found happiness for only a short while.

His inner strength.

His determination to do the impossible.

His desire.

His passion.

No, Kyo wasn't the monster.

She was.


	6. The Melody

Title: The Melody

Rating: K+

Pairing: Kisa x Momiji (a happy one for once!)

Lesson of Love: Honoring a person you love is just as important as loving them.

Notes: There's something to be said about locking yourself in a bathroom and forcing yourself to write, listening to Crystal Kay songs on my amazing and slightly ghetto Hello Kitty iPod/Radio player. I don't know what it is about her, but her voice really inspires me, especially when it comes to Kisa. I listened to "Boyfriend" the Acoustic version nonstop. My house is small (a studio apartment) and I have two little brothers, so privacy is hard to come by. Let's see if my escapade worked, shall we?

P.S.- Instead of Theme, I decided to go with Lesson of Love. Theme sounds so impersonal, don't you agree? Plus, I can shorten Lesson of Love to LOL!!! Okay, that wasn't funny, I apologize.

* * *

How do you honor the most important person in your life? 

How _could_ you?

It was a daunting task for Momiji. There just didn't seem to be enough ways to thank the special lady in his life, and to even muster up a paltry "I'm so grateful!" seemed like a gross insult to him.

Perhaps he was being too hard on himself. Perhaps it was because he was young and hopelessly in love. He knew his special someone didn't expect anything. She was too kind and too gentle to express anything but gratitude that she was by his side. She wasn't one to demand praise, attention, or gratitude. Even if she did want it, she wouldn't make this clear in that soft-spoken, whispery voice of hers.

Besides, Momiji couldn't _**thank**_ her. Thanking a person was for when a kind little boy helps a fragile old lady cross the street, or when a concerned citizen returns a careless shopper's wallet with all of its contents inside. That was when thank yous were in order.

Kisa, however, was not a fragile old lady or a scatter-brained shopper. She was far from a stranger, those thousands of people you pass on the street and never think about twice. She was known to him, precious to him.

And because she was so precious, Momiji knew Kisa deserved much better than a mere thank you.

She deserved to be praised...

Respected.

Honored.

Loved.

The question was, how?

Flowers were nice, and he did give them to her often-- everything from glorious, freshly-cut bouquets to wildflowers he'd picked in a boyish giddiness from parks and the cracks of sidewalks. He presented the plucked flowers her, bent stems and missing petals, with a wide grin as if he were giving his mother diamonds. Kisa always said she liked these kinds of flowers the best, the ones that sprouted from even the most unforgiving dry dirt of pavement cracks. They were the resilient and bold ones, popping up where they weren't wanted but standing their ground, exactly how she wanted to be.

He gave her pounds of delectable chocolates from foreign lands-- the Philippines, Germany, France, Russia, Austria, Brazil, and countless other places. No expense was too great when it came to his angel. Diamonds, rubies, pearls, every single extravagant piece of jewelry she even darted a glance at was hers. Whatever she wanted (which wasn't much, but Momiji had an overactive imagination), she got, no questions asked. If Kisa were anyone else, Momiji might've thought he was spoiling her rotten. Oh, but Kisa was so modest, stammering protests but finally caving in under the warmth of his angelic smile. She couldn't be spoiled because even after everything he'd done for her, given to her, he still felt inadequate.

He knew material things didn't add up to love. No matter how many Mogeta plushies or teddy bears he showered on her, it still didn't mean as much as saying I love you. And he was affectionate, very much so. He told her he loved her everyday. He complimented her to the point of worship. She really was the most beautiful woman in the world to him, and he told her so frequently. But it wasn't enough. It was never enough.

She would try to stop him from beating himself up so much. It hurt her to see the light flicker from his honey eyes. To think that he thought he'd failed her was too much. With a look, a touch, a shaky, shy smile, the smile she gave only to him, she would say, "I don't need the world, Momitchi. Just you is more than enough."

Kisa really was an amazing person. Though she was still quiet and reserved, he could tell she'd grown apart from her silent, tragic adolescence. She had been kicked around, teased, pushed, shoved, ignored, and had suffered at Akito's hands just because Hiro loved her. But even with the scars on both her mind and body, she had gotten up, brushed herself off, and finally looked ahead with clear eyes. Sure, it hadn't been easy, but Kisa had a lot of people behind her. Tohru, Haru, Hiro, and Yuki, and dozens of others had helped her to believe in herself. But Momiji firmly believed that it was her own inner will, her strength that gave her the courage to live freely. She underestimated her own power, the power that everyone, especially Momiji, saw in her. She healed herself, and could heal hearts in her own quiet way.

That was what she did for him. She healed his heart. He ached for a mother who couldn't and wouldn't love him because he was the Rabbit. She had rejected him from the moment she tried to hold him and found that she couldn't. Knowing that his mother hated him tore at his insides. Even though he wanted her to be in his life, to remember her little son, cursed or not, he knew it would be better if she forgot him. Mama got better and Momiji was happy, but he was still hurting. A few years later, Momiji had a little sister, Momo, but he couldn't hold her or talk to her. Mama and Momo were like beautiful glass dolls he could never touch because they would break. If they knew who he was, who knew what would happen this time around. So Momiji kept his distance, watching them from afar.

During the time when his mother crawled into herself and because a frightening person, there was this heavy, lingering silence. Nothing but buzzing quiet ringing in his tiny ears. But when she forgot him, that was when the real silence began.

An unloved silence.

It was the silence that came after an expensive china set broke. The one that came after a hideous secret was revealed. The one that came after the screams and tears of one's mother when they caught sight of their imperfect little boy. It was ominous and tense, full of uneasy waiting.

It was a warning.

It was fear.

It was _nothingness_.

And that scared him.

But when Kisa came, when she changed his life... The silence was gone.

Replacing it was her laughter.

Her soft words.

Just...

Her.

She cried so selflessly for him. She held him close. She gave him the love his malnourished soul needed after his mother abandoned him.

A world without Kisa was like a world without music.

It all made sense now. Why didn't he see it sooner?

Kisa was--

Music.

And a world without his music was--

Silent, so silent...

When the sun rose, with it came Kisa. Her long, soft hair fell gracefully over her shoulders and glowed like goldfish in the sun. Her skin was outlined in morning light and her sleepy topaz eyes were softly curtained with long-lashed eyelids. Her lips were twinged with a smile when she saw him.

Grinning, he picked up his instrument, a shining violin. He tightened the strings and positioned the violin under his chin. With a graceful swipe of his bow across the taut silver slivers, Momiji began to play.

This was the answer all along. He would honor her with a song. A song he poured everything he had into, a composition that began and ended with her.

Each note swelled with everlasting love for the music in his life.

His love. His light. His melody.

His Kisa.


	7. Today's Paper

**Title:** Today's Paper

**Rating:** K+

**Pairing:** Arisa/Kureno

**Lesson of Love:** Through the tough times, in a changing, depressing world, it's important to know that the one you love is thinking about you and wants to be with you.

**Notes:** I actually wrote this story on November 18th. Kinda late to be posting it then, huh. But anyway, this story was inspired by the Sunday paper. I flipped through it, getting bummed over all the bad things happening, and then my horoscope told me something that made me go, "Huh?" I didn't react to it the way Arisa did, but it was confusing. The question in my horoscope is exactly the same as in Arisa's. For some reason, that question stuck in my head. It's funny, but in the manga, Arisa's speech bubbles always has a smiling fish next to it. It makes me wonder if she's a Pisces like me... Guess I'll never know!

This is the last story of Fruits Medley: Second Harvest. To all of those that reviewed, I thank you immensely. But this isn't the last of Fruits Medley! I have a lot of stories in mind, so I think I just may do a threequel. There's always more room for fluff and love and all that good stuff. Enjoy this last tale!

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Fruits Basket. Period.

* * *

It was just an ordinary newspaper. One wouldn't give it a second glance if it were crumpled and dirty, riding on the wind's tails across the street. It was a shame that it would only gain more recognition if it were propped up on the shelf of a newspaper stand, prim and perfect, without creases or smudges, but then again, it was in pretty bad shape. The huge floppy pages were all bent up and out of order, as if its previous owner hadn't the time or the energy to make things right with his reading material. Huge greasy fingerprints could be found smudging out certain words like huge grayish-black craters on the face of the moon. The Business section, so far from home in the center of the paper, sadly sulked underneath the the mess of corners and drooping slabs of sections. The only way Uo could even tell it even existed was the small showing of the heading from underneath it all. 

It had been a long day at the convenience store, Uo's second job, and business was slow. At a time when people should've been stalking the aisles in need of a late night snack, the place was so empty, she swore a tumbleweed would roll by any minute. There was so much silence pressing in on her, she wanted to scream. While sometimes Uo did enjoy silence, it made her uneasy at times. Silence implied nothingness, and nothingness was so lonely, especially on a Friday night. She should've been out with friends, maybe bowling and laughing her head off, or on a romantic date, but she was stuck on this shift and there was nothing she could do about it. Uo had gotten into a disagreement with another customer. Like tonight, it had been a long, boring day and that upset customer had been the last straw. While Uo did try to keep her cool, calmly explaining that, no, the cheesy poofs weren't on sale this week because that brand had been on sale last week, she never did have much patience for authority. So she said some things she probably shouldn't have, and landed in the hot seat with her boss. Luckily, since it was the holiday season and the store was understaffed, Uo got to keep her job. Ex-Yankee with thinned eyebrows and a huge chip on her shoulder or not, it didn't change the fact that she was needed at the store. But she wasn't going to get cocky about it. She knew she'd have to tread cautiously from now on, or else she might really be tossed out on her rear. Uo really needed this job and she wasn't about to screw this up.

But even though she was trying to make things up to her boss by standing at the counter on her break, it was quite tiresome on her heels as well as on her mind. Uo reached down to rub the sole of her aching foot, grimacing. She hoped business would pick up soon. Otherwise, she was going to scream.

When five minutes of boredom tumbled by, Uo sighed and gave in to the allure of the ratty... thing beside her. It was today's paper, but it wasn't day anymore. Oh, well. Even if it wasn't daytime, it wasn't quite midnight either, so she supposed it didn't count. To be honest, Uo wasn't all that interested in current events, but she decided to give it a shot. Maybe in skimming some articles, she'd learn something new. And since the holidays were approaching, Uo just knew there had to be some feel-good Christmas story about a bunch of orphan siblings being reunited and adopted by a nice family. It would certainly warm her heart and make this day a little less crappy, or at the very least it would be an interesting tale. Either way, Uo was looking for a way to end her boredom, and this newspaper was the remedy. Plus, she didn't have to pay for it! Her spirits lifting just a tiny bit more, Uo reached for the paper, slapped it on the counter, and examined the first page.

As Uo went from the headlines to the rundown of the less important events that happened in the city, Uo's hopeful mood quickly flickered like a sputtering light bulb. Everything in the news was so damn depressing! Even the Travel section had something negative to say. The economy was a mess. Crime was getting worse. Stars were getting busted for serious offenses, then being let off the hook just because they were pretty, rich, famous, and talented. (Okay, so maybe some of them weren't talented, but that was beside the point.)

"The world today," Uo mumbled like an old man, the furrow between her perfectly tweezed eyebrows deepening as her sapphire eyes hopped from one grim article to the next. Not that it would make a difference. No matter where she looked, there was something more gruesome to top the article next to it. Her eyes popped random words into her brain as she flipped through the pages faster, trying to find a good deed, a sob story with a happy ending, something!

Frustrated and just a little bit weary, Uo reached for the Entertainment section. Like soda, chips and cheesy poofs, it was a section of no real substance. Delectable though it was, it wasn't like anything world-shattering occured here. It was a world of lesser-known celebrity gossip, the newest diet fads, and T.V. listings. Sighing, Uo opened the first page. The Table of Contents, shoved in a crude rectangle, caught her attention. A particular heading shone up at her.

**Daily Horoscopes--------------------------------------- Pg. 14**

Uo wasn't really big on astrology, but what the hey, maybe she'd give it a shot. Shrugging, she flipped to page 14 quickly. No one took these things seriously, and since it was for entertainment, it might be fun. Uo was interested to see if her horoscope was dead-on or not, though she doubted a random person could tell her something useful about the future. When she found the page, she slid her finger over each sign. Past the ram representing Aries, past the female twins of Gemini, farther and farther down until she finally found her sign. Uo leaned in as if trying to soak up some good advice, and began to read.

"'Your significant other isn't there when you need them most. This sets off alarms in your head, but never fear. Although there are rocky times ahead, you'll pull through. Exercise caution in your love life, and you will restore your inner calm. Your third eye is trying to tell you something. Listen closely and get your life in order. Only you can unlock the self-awareness and discovery you so desperately need. A question to ponder: what would make you happy?'"

"What a load of bull!" Uo shouted as she shoved the newspaper away from her. But she couldn't untie the knots coiling in her stomach. She couldn't stop the cold sweat that broke out on her white skin or the way her heart throbbed with worry. Uo did her best to play it off. "What would make me happy indeed," she scoffed, laughing half-heartedly as she rubbed her damp palms over her knees. "Lots of money, that's what! My job sucks! I deserve a raise for all the crap I go through." It was no use. In need of something to do, Uo undid the ponytail her hair was in and combed her fingers through her hair, insisting to herself that her ponytail was too tight and it was giving her a headache, and that was why she felt so bad. But when Uo redid her hair, wrapping the elastic around her hair the same number of times as before, it became as startlingly clear as the non-headache she had.

Uo was worried.

But there was no reason to worry! And it was really stupid, getting so worked up over a bunch of mumbo-jumbo that didn't even make sense. This self-awareness, third eye crap was so ridiculous, it made her want to laugh. Uo didn't have to do any soul searching. She and Kureno were doing just fine, thank you very much. There were no "rocky times" in store for them, because they were happy. Sure, they'd gone though obstacles in the past, but they were stronger because of that. Still, it made Uo wonder what sort of difficulties this psychic chick meant. A break-up? A fight? But it was normal for two people to be at odds with each other from time to time. Would they have a major disagreement, the kind that ends in people screaming things they didn't mean and uncontrollable crying? Maybe their age difference would come up again, and this time they wouldn't be able to handle it. Uo didn't know what she'd do if she lost him. Back then, when he didn't come see her, it tore her up inside. She knew she couldn't go through that sort of pain again. Kureno was too important to lose.

_And what's this third eye crap?_ she asked herself hotly, once again easing into her usual roughness as she made her way around the counter. _I don't get that at all. Jeez, don't think about it. It's stupid, okay? Really stupid. I have nothing to worry about. Nothing to worry about at--_

"Aiyeeeee! What the--?!" Uo looked down at what she'd nearly fell in. Her left leg drank from the dark brown puddle shimmering in the glaring lights while her other leg was bent like a flamingo in response to the unexpected slip hazard. Arms flailed wildly as if trying to take flight, Uo's stunned blue eyes found the paper she'd pushed over the edge just moments before. It had crossed paths with an open bottle of soda she'd forgotten about, so they both ran into each other on the way to the floor. The grungy paper was even more so, with the words and the flat cola running into each other's arms like they were old friends. The Horoscopes were barely legible.

"Huh," Uo sighed as she placed her hand on her hips and daintily stepped out of the puddle to stare down at the paper. "You guys were meant for each other." Uo knew she was crazy for talking to a stack of papers, but she couldn't help it. She felt sort of... victorious watching the work of Madame Whatsherface being eaten by a growing sugary stain. They really were meant for each other, and she knew just where the happy couple could go.

She flung the paper into the trash and dusted her hands.

"Now I gotta clean my shoes," Uo muttered as she inspected the sole of one brand spanking new Christmas snow white sneaker. _What a waste of time. Good riddance_, she said to herself.

If only she could tell her heart the same.

* * *

He wasn't there to pick her up. 

When Uo walked out of the convenience store, sore and tired, she expected to see him. Maybe not in front of the store, but they usually ran into each other less than a block later or something. She'd called out her goodnights to her friends and employees, who had somewhat distracted her from the whole horoscope thing, but she still needed him there.

It was dark, the sky was overcast and bruised, almost as lonely and angry as she was. A fierce wind had picked up and she was chilled down to the bone. It would've been nice to walk home with her boyfriend, seeing as she'd been thinking about him all day. It was the worst feeling in the world when, after waiting for ten minutes, she gave up and decided to trudge back home without him.

_That jerk_, she fumed as she stomped down the empty block. _I'll make him pay. _But payback wasn't on the agenda for Uo. No matter how angry she was, she mostly felt upset at his absence. She remembered all too vividly the soaked paper in the trash, her daily horoscope telling her she would never be happy with Kureno. Even though it wasn't like it would come true, it still made her want to reach out and hug someone, namely her boyfriend, who was supposed to be there no matter what.

Uo squeezed her eyes shut tight, willing herself not to cry. It was stupid. She was taking something that was supposed to be all fun and games and getting all emotional about it. Weren't the Horoscopes in the Entertainment section? What did that say about her, that she was upset over something that was in the most useless part of the paper to begin with! Just coupons and gossip, all empty-headed silliness. She should've been laughing, but instead she was fighting back tears. It didn't make sense at all, but still...

But still...

"I wish you were here," she warbled as she smashed her hand to her forehead, stopping in the middle of the street. She bit down hard on her lower lip as a parade of tears slipped past her guarded eyelids. "Why the heck are you crying, Arisa?" she asked herself, half-laughing as she shook with sadness. "You cry too easily, you know that? That's what Hana always says. If you don't want her to scold you, you better stop crying right now!" But she couldn't. She wasn't thinking about that stupid horoscope. She was thinking about him and how lonely her life was without him. How she didn't know how she could've lived without him. She needed him more than she could've ever realized.

_I love him and I can't... lose him._

His arms, strong and warm, slowly wrapped around her. Uo thought she surely had to be hallucinating. She'd probably passed out by now, and the cold was doing weird things to her brain. "Go away, ghosty man," she muttered. "I'll gain consciousness soon, so don't tease me."

But his chin on her shoulder... she felt it so clearly, like the crisp nighttime air on her cheeks. And she could smell him too. She closed her eyes and breathed him in. His scent was so calm and relaxing...

His voice, low and husky, thrilled every cell in her body just as much as his warm, even breath on her ear.

"Sorry I'm late."

And then she woke up from the trance. "S-Sorry?!" Uo yelled hotly, breaking free from his grip and spinning around to face him. Her cloudy breath slapped the late winter air. "What's your excuse?! You always pick me up on time, no matter what!"

Kureno took a step back, hands raised slightly as if bracing himself for an attack or hoping to pull her in again-- Uo wasn't sure which one it was, and she was sure she didn't care. He frowned. "Arisa, I'm sorry, I really am. I was wandering around and I lost track of time--"

Uo crossed her arms huffily. "Hah. Don't give me that. You're such a space cadet!" she shrieked as she smacked his chest. "You're always wandering around! I mean, you coulda at least called or something, let me know you'd be late! I waited ten minutes for you and you didn't even show. Ten minutes! You don't look tired or out of breath, so I guess you just skipped here, taking your sweet time."

"But--"

"What if something had happened to me?" she asked wildly. "Like if some pervert kidnapped me or something. What would you do then?" Not that she needed much protection. Being an ex-Yankee and all, Uo could more than handle herself.

Kureno's face fell. "If something happened to you, I would--"

"Nothing. Just forget it. If you want to pout and act like you care, fine. At the very least, you could've ran! When you weren't there, I swear I... I wanted to... I felt so alone!" Uo crushed her hands to her tearing up eyes. "You must not even... care about me. Not like I care about you."

Uo wished she could take those words back as soon as she spoke them. She looked into Kureno's pained face and felt a lightningbolt of fear stab through her very soul. Her fingers drifted up to grab her lips, her eyes rounded with shock.

_"You must not even... care about me. Not like I care about you."_

_What's with me today?_ Uo wondered as tears spilled from her eyes. _Why did I say that? Of course he cares about me! After all he's been through, how could I just yell at him like that? Ten minutes is nothing! Imagine how long he's waited for me. I'm always the irrational one, the one who starts arguments, the one who comes back to him, crying and apologizing. He must be so sick of me. After all, I'm just... me. I'm just a child, a spoiled child. And to think, a harmless horoscope started it all._ She covered her face with her hands, body leaning towards the ground. _I'm really messed up if I base our love on a silly prediction._

"Kureno... I'm sorry," Uo hicupped. "I'm acting like a child and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I'm just... pissed off and it has nothing to do with you. It's just me."

Kureno grasped the shaking girl to his chest. "Anything that has to do with you has to do with me too."

Uo smiled despite herself. "This is so stupid. Only anime guys say cheesy things like that. But I appreciate it," she added quickly, pulling away and smiling up at him. "Thank you, Kureno. You can dump me if you want," she half-joked. "I deserve it, really." Her insides quivered as she waited for the axe to come down. Uo wouldn't blame him if he did dump her. He should, at the very least, hate her for yelling at him. But she knew he wouldn't hate her. He was too stupid for that. Too wonderfully kind and stupid, just like a certain brown-haired optimist Uo called her friend.

"I wouldn't leave you for anything or anyone in the world," he smiled as he placed a large hand on her head. They started walking down the street. "And there's nothing to be sorry about. I should be sorry. I'm sorry. I'm such a ditz and I'm always wandering around, just like you said. Actually, I was with Haru, and uh... we got lost."

"Haru?!" Uo laughed. The strange black-and-white haired teen had a habit of getting lost, even when going to the bathroom. She'd watched others guide him to his homeroom and other destinations on a daily basis, and she even had to help him find his way once. "That explains it all then, huh." She punched his arm affectionately. "It was nice of you to stick with him."

"We went to visit some relatives, and we needed to pick up our cousin Kisa. It really was no trouble."

"Kisa-san. Tohru told me about her. How old is she again?"

"Twelve."

"She must be so cute!" Uo squealed. "You have to introduce me."

Kureno laughed. "Someday, I want you to meet my whole family," he said, making Uo blush. Visions of white wedding dresses swirled around in her head.

"You must really like me, huh," Uo purred.

Kureno stopped and gazed at her so intensely, Uo thought she would melt. "Yes."

Surprised, Uo gaped at him, trying to say something witty. All she came up with was, "Uh..."

He smirked. "Ah, so the mighty Arisa-san is speechless for once. Good. You can read this then." He slowly took piece of paper that was folded once like a card out of his pocket and presented it in front of her face.

"Huh?" Uo accepted the paper. A bold headline in red caught her attention.

"It's a shame that everything in the news nowadays is so depressing," Kureno murmured. "What are you staring at?" he laughed when her stunned eyes locked on his face. "Read," he mouthed.

She went back to the heading. It glittered with sparkles and was covered in stickers. When she looked at him again, he laughed. "Kisa-chan's doing," he explained. "Although I might've applied a sticker here and there."

Uo giggled. She could picture him and his little cousin on the floor, decorating the paper. "How cute," she said before reading.

**Kureno Sohma Misses Miss. Arisa Uotani**

Misty-eyed, she looked up at him again, but he darted his eyes to the pretend newspaper with a smile. She decided to keep her eyes on the article.

_**At exactly twelve o'clock this afternoon, Kureno Sohma realized he missed Miss. Arisa Uotani very much. The whole day, he couldn't wait to see her, to hold her and tell her how much he loved her. Seeing as this fellow is so dense, it should not surprise you that he only realized this now. (He is, after all, probably the only 26-year-old in the world who had never been in a convenience store until that tender age.) Arisa is blonde and blue-eyed, with a bad temper and a sweet smile. She's the most important person in the world to Kureno, and he's surprised she's even still with him. He's absent-minded, stupid and foolish. What a strange pair! But Kureno couldn't be happier. The only thing that would make this complete is if he was where she was, smiling and laughing and eating tororosoba.**_

When she looked up, Kureno smiled bashfully as he shrugged. "It's not the best written thing, but--"

Uo would never find out what the end of that sentence was. She threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you so much. I have the best boyfriend in the world. But I think this article needs an ending." She pulled a pen out of her pocket and used Kureno's arm as support for the newspaper. "It is now approxiately one thirty in the morning and the dopey Kureno-san is reunited with the lovely Arisa-san, the woman he hopes to marry and have kids with one day," she said aloud as her hand moved quickly across the page. She felt her face go warm at the marriage and family part, but she continued on. "The lovely Arisa-san gave Kureno-san a tongue lashing, which he stood there and took, as always. But she realized she was being childish, and begged a million times for his forgiveness. Amazingly enough, he's willing to stick with this strange, crazy girl. Arisa-san feels she's grateful to have such a patient, giving, wonderful man in her life, and she wouldn't change him for the world. She loves him more than he'll ever know. The End!" she squealed happily as she drew a picture of a happy face and wrote both of their names in a huge messy heart.

When Kureno leaned over her shoulder and read what she wrote, he laughed. "I happen to like crazy," he whispered. "And you're not childish at all."

Embarrassed, the blushing Uo changed the subject. "I wonder why you made me a newspaper. That's what it is, right?" This was getting freaky. On the day she freaks out about the paper, he makes her one. _One that I'll treasure and keep all my life_, Uo gushed on the inside. She mentally told herself to hang it up on her bedroom wall later on.

He nodded. "Because of what you said."

She was confused. "What I said?" Suddenly, the memory hit her. One time, they had been watching T.V. and the news came on. The news anchor recited such events as a house fire, a kidnapping, and a burglary in less than five minutes. Uo had said she didn't watch the news because everything on it would make her cry. "Seriously depressing," she had said.

_I have such a wonderful boyfriend,_ Uo thought as she hugged the paper to her chest. "I remember now. Thank you, Kureno."

And in the middle of this heart-warming moment, a present from the sky had to ruin it all.

_**Thunk!**_

Confused, Uo looked up at the sky. "What was that?" she wondered.

Alarm passing over his handsome features, Kureno placed his hand on the back of her head and guided it down to her chest. "Be careful," he warned. He grabbed an umbrella out of his coat pocket, opened it up and shielded both of their heads. "I saw it on the news. It's supposed to--" He stopped mid-sentence when she started laughing. "Arisa?"

"Hail!" she wheezed.

Small chunks of ice fell from the sky. Sharp tapping covered the streets, car hoods, everything the pebbly things fell on top of.

"So this is our rocky times, huh," she giggled. Laughing at the confused look on his face (he was so cute when he was confused), Uo took his hand and squeezed it lovingly. "Let's go home, Kureno."

Hand-in-hand, the couple walked through the hailstorm. In that moment, she realized what would make her happy. The question her horoscope had asked her now made her heart warm.

_What would make me happy,_ Uo thought as she snuggled into Kureno's side, _is for the two of us, through rain, wind, sunshine and hail, to always be together._

Uo nudged him in the ribs. "My, my, Kureno-san. Aren't we prepared for the worst."

"I watch the news everyday, no matter how depressing."

That playful nudge turned into a shove. "What a show off!"

* * *

**A/N:** Torotorosoba is sweet yam noodles. In Chapter 50 (Vol. 9), I believe, Kureno and Arisa eat torotorosoba. (And Arisa sang her cute little song about it.) :) 


End file.
